Herbalist and accomplice nabbed for N16.7m fraud

Two fraudsters identified as Samson and Favour (surnames withheld) are now guests of the State CID, for defrauding staff members of the Delta State Post Primary Education Board of the whopping sum of N16.7m in the course of a year.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP FRIDAY, the chairman of the board, Orode Imevbore said that one of the suspects, Samson, allegedly connived with Favour to defraud unsuspecting staff members of the board, as they, hitherto, paraded themselves as staff of the board, so as to obtain loans from a finance house (name withheld) before nemesis caught up with them.

It was reliably gathered that upon their dismissal, the suspects turned herbalist and farm attendant, respectively, unknown to the genuine members of staff, and visited their former offices continually to carry out the fraudulent activities.

“When a staff of the PPED applies for loan, the finance department of the board processes it and sends the processed form to the finance company issuing the loans, but when the suspects collected the form, they removed the identity of the genuine staff and put their own identities before going to the finance company,” the police public relations officer in the state, DSP Celestina Kalu said.

But their luck ran out when one of the companies thought something fishy was going on and set out to investigate for itself. It discovered the discrepancies and alerted the board management who informed the police. Upon their arrest, it was discovered that the suspects were both in possession of different identity cards of the company.

Kalu assured the media that investigations are on-going and, upon completion, justice will be done.

Meanwhile, the affected staff members who were in shock when the fraud was discovered, are presently recuperating in hospitals.