By Christopher Oji
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Abuja, has arrested a middle-age spiritualist for allegedly swindling a businessman of the sum of N70 million.
The suspect, who allegedly claimed to be a mystic with spiritual powers to double money and grant wishes for prosperity, was picked up after swindling a Lagos-based businessman of the said amount.
The mystic, operating out of Mubi, Adamawa State, Alhaji Salihu, reportedly used a man who claimed to a serving police officer, Inspector Daniel, to convince the businessman, Patrick Iga Ogonna, that the he had spiritual powers to double money and bring financial breakthrough by offering certain prayers and rituals, including the use of special perfume, that would attract wealth.
It was gathered that the businessman, who claimed to have established extensive networks, including acquaintances within the Nigeria Police Force, fell for the trick and sent N70m in tranches through his bank to the said Alhaji Salihu, expecting the money to be doubled, until the trick blew open.
Said the businessman, “Inspector Daniel persistently persuaded me to consider a money-doubling scheme being operated by one Alhaji, a self-acclaimed mystic and spiritualist based in Mubi, Adamawa State.
“He assured me that Alhaji’s powers could bring financial breakthroughs by offering certain prayers and rituals, including the use of a special perfume said to attract wealth. He further said the Alhaji had been doing it for many people and could easily change foreign currencies after performing certain rituals.
“I became sceptical after he started asking for goats, cows and other live animals to be slaughtered for the ritual. At that stage, I started making inquiries, which revealed that he also usually asked for human beings for rituals. That was why I hastily demanded for the refund of the N70m I had already paid to him through my bank.”
Daily Sun gathered that Salihu’s failure to refund the money made the businessman send a petition to the police headquarters in Abuja and Salihu was swiftly arrested and detained after he confessed that he received the money from the businessman.
Furthermore, after his detention on a court order, he started making frantic efforts to be released by using some people that claimed to be Muslim clerics, pushing for him to be granted bail based on fake claims that he was diabetic and needed urgent medical attention.
Police sources said the businessman has objected vehemently to the false claims, insisting that Salihu must refund the money, especially when he lied that it was only N20m that he collected and not N70m.
The businessman also alleged that the suspect had been swindling many other Nigerians of their hard-earned money, pretending to be a mystic and spiritualist. He urged the police to ensure that he bears the full weight of the law, to prevent him from duping other unsuspecting victims of their money and to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.