Nigerian Police Charge Bureau De Change Operators With Fraud After Alleging N6Million Extortion By Policemen

Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police, has charged two licensed Bureau De Change operators, Mr. Chinedu Ngwaka and Mrs. Uchenna Onyekachi Ngwaka, with conspiracy and fraud in connection with an alleged attempt to cover up N6 million that was reportedly extorted from the couple by the police.

SaharaReporters had reported on December 1, 2024, that the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) at Alagbon Police Station, Lagos State, allegedly extorted two separate payments of N3 million each from Mr. Chinedu Ngwaka, who was arrested and detained for two weeks over alleged fraud.

However, following an investigation into the fraudulent extortion of the policemen in FCIID, Alagbon Police Station by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the IGP has now brought a criminal charge against the couple for exposing the police criminality, which allegedly involved the CP Fraud Investigation, Simon, SP Eze of Anti-Fraud and two IPOs.

The Police Chief in the five-count criminal charge filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, through a Legal Officer at Legal/ Prosecution Section Force CID Annex, Alagbon, M.A. Animashaun Esq, accused the couple of conspiracy to defraud, false representation and forgery.

The charge obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday, dated December 3, 2024 with charge No. FHC/924c/2024, had the Inspector General Of Police as the Complainant/Prosecution and Chinedu Ngwaka and Janet Onyekachi Ngwaka as the first and second Defendants.

The charge read: "That you Chinedu Ngwaka 'M', Janet Onyekachi Ngwaka 'F' and others (now at large) sometime in March, 2024 at FL505 Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos conspired amongst yourselves to commit an Offence in defrauding CASCO Electronics Company Limited And Mr. Tochukwu Samson Unachukwu and thereby committed an Offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Frauds And Other Fraud Related Offences ACT, 2006 (as amended and punishable under' Section 1 (3) of the same ACT.

"That you Chinedu Ngwaka 'M', Janet Onyekachi Ngwaka 'F' and others (now at large) sometime in March, 2024 at FL505 Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos with intent to defraud, received the sum of N320,000,000 (Three Hundred and Twenty Million Naira), from one CASCO Electronics Company Limited And Electronics Company Limited And Mr. Tochukwu Samson Unachukwu on false representation that you operate Bureau de Change and that you will pay the equivalent amount of 200,000 USD (Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars) on his behalf to Felicity Company Limited (a manufacturing company in China) a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an Offence contrary to Section 1 (1) Of The Section 8 (A) Of The Advance Fee Frauds And Other Fraud Related Offences ACT, 2006 (as amended).

"That you Chinedu Ngwaka 'M' between 2023 to September, 2024 within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos with Intent to defraud falsely presented yourself to the public as a consultant to Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and thereby committed an Offence contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

"That you Chined'u Ngwaka 'M' between 2023 and September, 2024 within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos with intent to defraud, forged an identity card bearing the name DR. CHINEDU NGWAKA, purported to have been issued by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and thereby committed an Offence contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

"That you Chinedu Ngwaka 'M' sometime in September, 2024 within the Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, Lagos with intent, forged a presidential plate number 02B 679 FG, purported to have been issued by the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Abuja and thereby committed an Offence contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38, Laws of the Federation, 2004."