Suspected career fraudster arrested

Akintomide

A father of five has been arrested by police investigators at Oke-Odo Police Station, Abule-Egba, Lagos State, under the suspicion that the suspect may be a serial fraudster.

The suspect Yemi Akintomide, 45, was said to be in the habit of seeking unsuspecting artisans,  with the mind of defrauding them.

Police believe he had defrauded many people and are calling on likely victims to pay visit to the Oke-Odo Police Station.

According to them, the more evidences they were able to gather against the suspect, the better such evidences would be used to nail in the court of law.

But Akintomide, who said he was a professional Aluminium window designer, said he was not a fraudster. According to him, what led to police arresting, was an unfortunate incident.

A police source said: “What he used to do, is to go to artisans, tell them that a certain people or company needed him to supply their products in bulk. The suspect knows that most of these artisans don’t have receipts and invoice for their wares. He would ask them to get those items. He would offer to assistant them get them if they give him money. Once he collects the money, he would disappear.”

The victim who got Akintomide and dragged him to police station is a cobbler.

Akintomide reportedly approached and told the cobbler that a factory needed hundreds of shoe soles. Akintomide said he had been asked to quickly supply the soles. He however told the cobbler that he needed receipt and invoice before he could buy the product.

The cobbler didn’t know how to go about procuring such items. He gave Akintomide money to assist him get those items for him and the man disappeared.

The cobbler found him three months later in a tailor’s shop. Akintomide was just explaining to the tailor that he needed bulk tops, to supply to a client. He told the tailor that for him to buy those many clothing, he would need receipt and invoice from the man.

The suspect and the tailor was still discussing the receipt and invoice issues when the cobbler came to visit his friend, who incidentally happened to be the tailor. The cobbler immediately recognised   Akintomide.

Akintomide said: “I’m not a fraudster. Yes, I collected money from the shoe maker. Yes, it was three months. But I’m ready to pay him the money now.”

Asked why he disappeared with the shoe maker’s money and what he did with it, Akintomide kept mute. Asked to mention the name of the company that wanted him to supply clothing in bulk quantity, the suspect continued to keep mute.