Fashola opens up on being swindled by internet scammer

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has clarified recent Social Media reports that he was defrauded of the sum of N3.1 million by a Yahoo Boy who is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Minister, who said he neither knew nor transacted any business with the suspect that involved or would have led to his being swindled, explained that the amount being mentioned was the worth of Air Miles which the suspect derived from fraudulently hacking into his internet account and creating a false identity with which he, among other benefits, bought first class tickets to various parts of the world.

“Having persistently hacked into the accounts for over a period of six years, the suspect was tracked by the Minister until enough evidence was gathered which was then passed on to the security agencies,” Fashola said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Hakeem Bello.

Malik Wakili was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for pulling an internet scam against Fashola.

The middle aged man, who allegedly impersonated Fashola to steal N3,106,216 was arraigned before a Federal high court in Lagos, south west Nigeria.

Wakili was alleged to have conspired with one Abdullahi Umar, who is at large, “to fraudulently impersonate Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, with intent to gain monetary advantage for themselves .”

He was alleged to have converted the total sum of N3,106,216, being the value of the Air-miles Skywards Account Number EK248739282 of the minister with the Emirate Airline.

The offence alleged to have been committed by the defendant is contrary to sections 15(2)(a) and 27(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and punishable under sections 15(3) and 22(3)(a) of the same Act.

He pleaded not guilty to the three counts.