BY IFEANYI OKOLIE
LAGOS — Policemen attached to Area B Command, Apapa, Lagos, have arrested four persons, among them three ‘Managing Directors,’ who allegedly specialised in defrauding unsuspecting petroleum dealers.

The suspects, Clinton Aladay, Emmanuel Amakre, Lawrence Oduh, allegedly defrauded their victims to the tune of N75 million worth of petroleum products, using fake payment alerts.

Parading the suspects before newsmen, yesterday, spokesperson for Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, explained that the suspects floated three different companies (Hephziba Energy Resources Ltd, Deep Flank Energy Resources and Blue Moon Energy Resources Ltd.).

They equally opened several bank accounts with various banks to facilitate their crimes.

She said: “After bargaining the price with the dealers, they will issue cheques on the agreed sum, and in some cases the innocent victim receives alert from his bank indicating that money had been deposited in their account, before parting with their products.

“When they go to the bank to confirm if their accounts had been credited, they will realise that they had been defrauded.

“These suspects are on the wanted list of the State C.I.D, Yaba, Zone 11, Onikan, Lagos, Special Fraud Unit, Area E Command, Festac and the Area B Command for various fraud cases.

“They met their waterloo when detectives from the Area B Command got information that one of the suspects was trying to sell off a petroleum product to a buyer in Apapa.

“They swooped on him and he assisted the police in arresting others.

“Their victims at the mentioned police formations includes; Nikky Best, who they allegedly defrauded of N5.2 million; Mrs. Ogini, N6 million; one Professor N9.6 million; Innocent Okonkwo N9.6 million; Pesue Temisanren, N4.7 million; Royal Oil, N2.9 million; Meta Oil and Gas N4 million; King Simon, N11 million; Jonathan, N5 million and many others.”

She however added that investigation was still ongoing to ascertain the possible connivance of bank staff in payment alert to victims.

Meantime, the suspected kingpin, 34 year-old Clinton Aladay, denied the allegation but admitted to be owing some persons. At a point, he yelled that he was being victimized.

According to him; “ I am an Oil and gas marketer and what I had with these people was business and I agree that I am owing them. Some of them sold substandard products to me and the company I sold these products to have refused to pay me.

“ I am not aware the any false bank alert the police is talking about and I didn’t issue dud cheque to anyone. The people I gave cheques that I knew I had no money in the account, I wrote to the bank asking them not to honor the cheque. I don’t see that as issuance of dud cheque. I accept the fact that I am indebted to these people that’s all,” he said.