How we attempted to defraud Inspector, using his missing son- Synagogue member

Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris’s Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), have arrested two members of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, for pretending to have abducted the four-year-old son of a police inspector in Nasarrawa State.

The lady, Tanla Mirabel 30, a Cameroonian, who is two months pregnant, was arrested at the guest house of  Synagogue Church, Ikotun, Lagos. She was arrested with her lover, Rafael Adebayo, 30.

The inspector has been identified as Monday Shekidat. The Inspector’s son, Godwin, was abducted on February 13, 2017, by unknown persons at Masaka area of Nasarrawa State. The child was abducted on his way back from school.

The lovers, now suspects, confessed to have met at Synagogue Church, where they came to worship.

They allegedly contacted Inspector Shekidat claiming to know those behind the kidnapping of his son. They also demanded for payment  in order to divulge information on the abducted child.  Mirabel was the first to make contact with Shekidat through a text message.

The lovers agreed to fool and hook winked Shekidat into parting with some money after they read an announcement on the internet that he was trying to find his son. Shekidat’s phone number was on the announcement.

Mirabel said: “I didn’t know that there was a missing child until Adebayo showed the announcement to me. He forced me to send text messages to the phone number placed on the announcement. Adebayo thought the man was wealthy and would give in to our demand. Sincerely, I never intended to send such messages. Adedayo was with my traveling documents; he threatened to destroy them if I didn’t send the text messages.”

Mirable sent text messages to the phone number, claiming that her parents, who reside in Maraba area of Nasarrawa State, were behind the abduction of Shekidat’s son. She further claimed that her parents were preparing the boy for ritual. Mirable sent copious messages to  Shekidat, which the desperate father saved.

Some of the messages read: “ I know where your son is; don’t call, just send SMS.  I’m risking my life to tell you this, but I’m doing it on one condition. Will you accept it?  I’m not joking. I know where he is; my parents are preparing him for rituals.  Send me airtime so I can send you more text messages. My airtime is almost finished.  I need N40,000 from you. The moment you send the money, I’ll personally call you to come to my parents’ house with police. I’ll send you my account details, but let me know when you are ready; delay is dangerous.  I have seen the airtime; when are you sending the money?  Tomorrow, you’ll see your son, but don’t involve the police; if you do, you’ll not see your son again.” 

Mirable later said that she didn’t know she was dealing with a policeman. Shekidat received a bank account number and sensing something was off key, alerted operatives of IRT, led by ACP, Abba Kayri. The IRT men tracked Mirabel and the owner of the account to Ikotun.

A police source said: “ Mirabel was found in one of the guest rooms used by Synagogue Church to accommodate its members. She led the police to arrest Adedayo, who sourced for the bank account. Thorough investigation revealed that the couple was not connected to the abduction of the boy. They were only attempting to extort money from the police inspector.”  

Mirabel claimed that Adebayo forced her into sending the text messages. The lady further said: “ He told me that he has spent a lot of money on me. He hoped to recoup his money from the missing boy’s father. My role was to make sure that the man pays the money.  I felt threatened; I sent the text messages.” 

Recalling how she met Adebayo, Mirabel said that she  came  to Nigeria three months ago and resided with her brother in Kano State. She later left his home because her sister-in-law was mean to her.

Describing the manner in which her sister-in-law was mean to her, Mirable said: “ My brother’s wife always ask their 10-year-old child to dish my food.  I complained to my brother, but he didn’t do anything about it. I decided to leave his house.  I had only  N10,000 with me when I left Kano.  I went to TB Joshua’s Church in Lagos because I am an asthmatic patient.”

She wanted Joshua to pray for her, but ushers wouldn’t allow her to see the pastor. She was stranded and stood at the  bus stop, unsure where to go or what to do next. She was brooding on her situation when Adebayo sighted and walked up to her.

Mirable recollected: “ He asked me where I was going. I told him I had nowhere to go.  He said that he has a  lodge,  where he pays N500 per night. He said he could accommodate me.”

It was only a matter of time before the two became lovers. She said that Adebayo returned one day from his outings to show her the announcement.

She said: “ The parents of the missing boy promised to reward anyone who came with information that could lead to locating the child. Adebayo gave me N500 to go and buy food. After I returned, he asked me to send SMS to the phone number on the announcement. He said I should tell them that the boy was with me;  I should text that if they wanted to see him alive, they should send N40,000.  I refused to send the SMS, but he threatened not to release my traveling documents, which were in his custody.  I had no choice; I sent the messages. The man didn’t send the money.”

Adedayo, from Kogi State, denied being involved in the scam. He claimed that he  gave the account number to Mirabel unaware what she wanted to do with it. 

Adebayo explained: “ I came to Lagos on January 15,  2017,  to attend Synagogue Church prayer night. I took a lodge close to the church. I later took up a job as a painter. When I’m not painting, I assist people in getting a lodge. In February, I met Mirabel carrying a bag. I approached and asked her if she needed a lodge. She told me that she was stranded; she didn’t have money. She begged me to assist her. I accommodated her for two days. Later, I asked her to leave, but she said she was going to source for money.  Later, she called and said she needed an account number. I approached one Mary, who lives around. Mary gave us her account number. I went back to work. When I came back, I was told that Mirabel was gone.  I didn’t know where she went. Four months later, I was arrested and taken to Abuja. 

“Mirabel told the police that I was part of the plan to extort the boy’s father. I had no hands in it. Between God and man, I wasn’t the one who asked Mirabel to send those messages.  Since I knew her, I have never held her phone. She doesn’t allow anyone to touch her phone. I took care of her and bought her drugs. I didn’t sleep with her until March 2017, after some women at the lodge started calling her my girlfriend. I didn’t see her again until I was arrested. When I called her phone, she wouldn’t pick.  She’s making this whole thing up.”