Joy Anyim
Renowned Senior Police Officer, Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) accused of brutalising and extorting a Lagos-based businessman, Afeez Mojeed, of N41 million has responded to the allegation, describing his accuser as a fraudster.
Expressing shock over the allegation made by Mojeed in a petition filed on October 22, 2020, through Salawu Akingbolu & Co, Mojeed’s counsel, and addressed to the newly formed judicial panel of inquiry and restitution for victims of SARS-related abuses in Lagos, Kyari’s maintained he was innocent of the allegation.
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Explaining how Mojeed was arrested in 2014, Counsel to Kyari, Barrister Hanzu Nuhu, said Mojeed had defrauded a man (name withheld) of N94 million.
Nuhu stated that the case was reported at the the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command, then led by DCP Kyari.
He also stated that a video evidence of confessional statement made by Moheed was still available.
The Counsel to Kyari said: “ Fraudster Afeez Mojeed defrauded a victim of N94million. He was arrested six years ago and N41 million was recovered from the proceeds of the crime which he voluntarily paid the victim(Owner of the money) back directly through the victim’s account.
“He confessed on Video and in writing that he bought Honda Account 2008 model and N7 million land from the N94 million he defrauded and that he has squandered the remaining N31 million on hotels and girlfriends.
“ He submitted the car and land documents which was registered as exhibit before He was charged to court and after some years he was discharged not acquitted from court because the complainant was not coming to court as most Nigerians do.
“ The land document and the car that were registered as exhibit are still kept with the exhibit keeper in Lagos. ”
Nuhu said Mojeed will be re-arrested and charge to court again as he was not acquitted by the court, stating that this time, the complainant has assured the Police that he is in Nigeria and ready to attend the court process until his case is concluded.
He further stated that the victim also said he will not leave his balance of N31million to the fraudster.
The Counsel added: “ We are surprise the fraudster is mentioning Abba Kyari’s name like he gave him one kobo. He has not given him one kobo and it’s on record that the respected officer has never collected money from any of his suspects despite the thousands of cases he has handled all these years.
“ He wouldn’t have been who he is today if he is a cheap corrupt officer like this. He has no evidence of giving Abba Kyari one kobo. Let him prove all the lies he is talking. Also the Criminal should know that giving false information is still an offense in Nigeria for which one can be charged to Court. ”
Lambasting the Counsel to Mojeed for yielding to the alleged falsehood by their client, Nuhu asked why Mojeed didn’t seek redress IJ the past six years.
“ Some Human Right Lawyers have declared on their own that they will sue the fraudster for defamation of character this friday,” he revealed.
In the petition, Mojeed, who introduced himself as a businessman, said he was home with his pregnant wife,18 month-old son and mother in-law, when the operatives of the disbanded SARS stormed his home on the night of October 18, 2014.
“They forcefully took his wedding ring and that of his wife from them, opened their wardrobe and took the sum N280,000 and the sum of N50,000 was also taken from his car, after which the Honda Accord (2008) model was seized and taken away till today,” the petition read.
Phones, landed properties, cheque books, bank cards and other valuable documents were allegedly taken from his house.
The petition alleged: “ Acting on the directive of Kyari, one Inspector Fola, Corporal Bolu and Corporal Akeem took me to Diamond Bank Ajah branch on October 23 and 24, 2014 to forcefully transfer the sum of 41 Million and N800,000 respectively from my corporate account M. Mateen Concepts into the account of one Obinna Edward, whom our client had never seen or heard of before, after which they shared the money.
“All these acts perpetrated on our client were exhibited with serious injuries inflicted on him due to a series of slaps and beatings for them to get access to his ATM password, signature on cheques and also transfer from his account.”
