7 Nigerians arrested for illegal transactions

Seven Nigerians, including a woman, have been arrested by the Police Striking Force for their alleged involvement in illegal transactions involving about $108 millions.

They are said to have used the names of Mrs. Lilly Mobutu, wife of the late Mobutu Sese Seko, former President of Zaire now Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mrs. Lilly Sankoh, wife of the detained rebel leader of Sierra Leone, to carry out the illegal transactions.

The suspects are Brigit Gabriel, alis Jennifer 30, owner of J G Boutique at Osu in Accra, Collins Young Oniyilimba, 32, Kingsley Etuk, 24, Anthony Obira Amazu, Boakye Danquah, 29, Emmanuel Inyang, lias Francis Archibong, 38, Paul Victor, 30 and Ifiok Ezekiel Imedu, 31.

According to the police, Brigit Gabriel was used to impersonate the wives of the former state personalities to execute the deals. Informing newsmen for the swindlers in Accra yesterday, Inspector Jordan Quaye for the Police Public Relations Unit said the suspects often lure investors into the country with the intention of opening a savings account for them to facilitate easy by business transaction and bolt after collecting huge sums of money from them.

According to the PRO, they write tot he foreign investors, telling them that they have huge sums of money locked up in various banks in Ghana and are looking for investors as business partners. He said when the foreigners finally arrive in the country, the suspects tell them that the monies are in sealed containers in the banks and that they would be required to pay fees between $16,000 and $20,000 before they are released to them.

The PRO said when such amount of money is paid to the suspects, they give out the money in sealed containers but ask their victims to go and open them in their various hotels. They then bolt from the scene of transaction and leave their victims stranded.

The Commanding Officer of the Striking Force, Superintendent Kofi Boakye, expressed surprised about the crime wave in the country and said when foreigners are duped by Nigerians the crime is always attributed to Ghanaians, thereby destroying their image. He said such crimes normally go a long way to negate all gains the country has made in her investment drive.

He said what is dangerous about the situation is that many foreigners who have been duped fail to report it to the police due to shock and called on the public to co-operate with the police to nib this social canker in the bud.

He said Ghanaians should remain vigilant and report any such suspected criminals to the police for action since their activities will affect the economy of the state adversely. Supt.

Boakye assured the public that the police are willing to fight this type of crime at all levels with their support. Two letters believed to have been written to foreigners to lure them into the country were given to the press.