By Kayode Adeoti
The travails of a 31-year-old herbalist, Jamiu Isiaka who is being
prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
Ilorin Zonal Office for allegedly defrauding a Korean to the tune of
N30 million has taken another dimension as the anti-graft agency
presented a video evidence where he confessed committing the crime,
before the court.
The EFCC had on 11th of June 2019 arraigned Isiaka on a four count
charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, forgery and
impersonation before Justice Mustapha Abdulgafar of Kwara State High
Court sitting in Ilorin.
He had pleaded not guilty to all the four count charges levelled
against him by the anti-graft body.
The trial however took another twist when the EFCC displayed video
evidence where the accused admitted that he committed the offence and
analyse how he used the proceeds of crime.
In the video evidence which was displayed in the court, Isiaka
confessed that ” I went to Hajj together with my wife from the
proceeds of crime, when we came back, we organised a big party for
family, friends and other well wishers, I bought a Toyota Corolla car,
I equally bribed the police from S.I.B, Ilorin, Kwara State when they
were investigating me, I gave them N2 million bribe so that they would
allow me travel to the holy land”
Earlier, a key prosecution witness in the matter, Dare Folarin told
the Presiding Judge that the video clip was recorded via a wrist watch
by a staff of the EFCC while the defendant was in the custody of the
commission.
Folarin testified further that ” My Lord, the accused person told the
operatives of the commission during interrogation that he does not
understand English Language, he had also told this honourable court
the same story, we caught him while speaking in English Language in
the detention, we recorded him to show to this honourable court”
The witness who is the second in Command (2ic) Ilorin Zonal office
said, “At the end of our investigations, I came to a conclusion that
Jamiu Isiaka is the same person who impersonated the National
Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs
Aminat Zakari, The Group Managing Director of National Petroleum
Corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, the Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina among other notable
Nigerians and forged some documents and presented to the complainant
in order to defraud him.
“We also discovered that the defendant collected $88, 000 from the
victim under a false pretence that he would issue him a certificate of
incorporation with NNPC.”
Justice Abdulgafar adjourned the matter till Monday 1st of July for
cross examination of the witness.
