How our plans to defraud President Buhari’s children, uncle failed- Ex-policeman

*Syndicate buys phone numbers of rich, influential Nigerians

Operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), have arrested two men, who attempted to defraud the children and uncle of the President of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari.

The suspects, Charles Abam, 36 and Felix Machi,were arrested by teams of IRT operatives led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Abba Kyari. Abam and Machi were arrested in Asaba, Delta State.

The duo allegedly infiltrated Buhari’s family, using fake identities. One of the suspects, Abam, is a former  policeman.  Police described the suspects as members of a notorious fraud syndicate, which targets rich and influential Nigerians.

The suspects, sometimes in April 2017,  sent a text message to the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hajiya Ramatu Aliyu, pretending to be Senator Diasey Danjuma, wife of General T .Y Danjuma. They requested for phone numbers of some of the president's children and his uncle. 

Hajiya Aliyu, believing she was communicating with Senator Danjuma, replied through a text message that she didn’t have the phone contact of the president’s children and uncle. She, however, texted the phone number of the elder brother of Mrs Aisha Buhari to the fraudster.

She felt the Senator would be able to Buhari’s children and uncle’s phone numbers from Aisha’s brother. She didn’t know she was dealing with fraudsters.

Armed with the phone number, the suspects contacted Aisha’s brother and pretended to be Senator Danjuma. They asked for phone numbers of President's children and uncle. The phone numbers were texted to them.

Abam said: “Before I attempted to defraud the president's children, I had defrauded several politicians across the country. I pretended to be a kidney patient. Once I contacted these politicians, I tell them that I needed donation for kidney transplant. Many of them sent money to me. I got N70, 000 from Hon. Emeka Obinna, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon, Ossy, Commissioner for Lands, Delta State. He gave me N50, 000.

“Senator Ahmed Kamoni gave me N150, 000, while another member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Obinna Uzor, gave me N50, 000. I got N50, 000 from Senator Ahmed Yerima. The former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Orisajefor, gave me N100,000, while the Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Aniofor Udo, gave me N100,000. A former Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Daniel Abia, gave me, N5500.000. I gave Felix 10 percent of any money I got.”

A police source said: “The suspects bought a new SIM card after they got the phone numbers. They sent an SMS to the president's children and his uncle, asking them to send names of five persons they would like to nominate for recruitment into National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Eight names and phone numbers were sent to them. The suspects, pretending to be officials of the NDLEA, called those nominated and asked them to pay money into a bank account. They said the money was for training exercise gears.”

The police source continued: “The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was alerted after the suspects’ made contact with the president's children. The IGP instructed the IRT operatives to investigate the matter.” 

The IRT men urged the president's children to play along with the suspects. The operatives also provided names and phone numbers of the eight persons which was sent to the suspects.

The bank account number provided by the suspects was traced by the IRT operatives; it was owned by the leader of the syndicate, Charles Abam.  Charles was grabbed and later assisted the operatives in catching Machi.  Abam, from Delta State, said that he regretted attempting to defraud Buhari’s family.

Abam recounted: "I went into fraud in 2014 after I lost my job as a policeman. I tried to secure another job, but I wasn’t successful. I lost my job in 2003; it happened after I got an opportunity to travel out of the country. I left my duty post and went to process my travel documents. I was defrauded; I lost all my money. When ‎I went back to my job, I was told that I have been declared a deserter. I begged to be reinstated, but was turned down. I applied as security guard in a bank, I was also rejected.

“When I went into fraud, I wasn't making enough money. I first went into local fraud. One of my friends, Mike, now dead, taught me everything I know about fraud. He gave me several formats, which I could use on unsuspecting victims.

“He also linked me to people that sell phone numbers of prominent politicians. I later met Felix, who became my partner. Felix role is to provide bank accounts, which I give to my victims.”

Abam said that in March, they decided to up their game. They thought about defrauding relatives of President of Nigeria.

He said: “I have contacts of top politicians in Delta State. I sent an SMS to the APC Chairman Delta State, Prophet Enu; I identified myself as the PDP Chairman Delta State. I begged him to give me the phone number of the APC Woman Leader, Hajia Tijani. He sent it.  I sent the woman a message, identifying myself as Senator Diasy Danjuma, wife of General T.Y Danjuma. I requested for the phone numbers of  President Muhammadu Buhari’s children and that of his uncle. She told me she didn’t have their phone numbers. She, however, said that she had the phone number of the brother to the wife of the President.

“When I got the man’s phone number, I sent an SMS to him. It was through him I got phone numbers of the President’s children and Maman Daura. I sent them the message to nominate five people they wanted to secure jobs with NDLEA. We told them that NDLEA gave them five slots. Later, I got eight names. I started communicating with the owners of the names. But the people weren't cooperating. I also sent them a bank account number, but none of them paid money into it. After then, I started receiving calls from people threatening to arrest me. I felt they were policemen.

“I destroyed my phones and SIM cards, believing that would prevent them from tracking and arresting me. I was shocked when policemen showed up at my home and arrested me. They took me to Delta State Police Command, before they brought me to Abuja. I didn't know that this little trick will get me into a big trouble.”