Business

Gbese!!! Man Defrauds Bureau de change Operator Of N3.4m with Fake $7000 In Ikoyi

Published

7 years ago

March 20, 2017 1:34 pm

A suspected fraudster, John Eze, has been arrested by the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos State, for allegedly defrauding a Bureau De Change operator, Ismaila Ali, in Ikoyi area.

It was learnt that 34-year-old Eze had approached Ali sometime in January 2017, to exchange the sum of $7,000 for the naira equivalent.Ali was said to have paid Eze N3,451,000, buying the dollars at the rate of N493 per dollar.
The duo reportedly parted ways after the transaction, which held inside the suspect’s LEXUS 470 Jeep with number plate, Lagos AKD 612 DA.

The bubble burst when Ali got to his office on Treadsmaqueen Street, Ikoyi, where a new customer was waiting to exchange naira for dollars.

As he brought out the money, he discovered that Eze gave him fake 74 pieces of 100 dollar note.

Ali told Punch that efforts to reach the suspect on a telephone number he gave him for future transactions were abortive, as the line was switched off.

He said, “I was in my office when he called and said he had $7,000 to sell. I told him we bought at N493 and sold at N496 per dollar. He said I should meet him in a bank at Falomo.

“I borrowed N2.6m from my colleagues and added my money to it to make it N3,451,000, the equivalent of the money he wanted to exchange. Out of apprehension, I told my apprentice to keep the money, while I meet him first so that if he had a weapon, he would not get any money from me.

“As I attempted to enter the bank, he called me that he was no longer there and I should meet him at another bank. As I approached the new bank he gave me, he called and said he was in his Lexus Jeep. He opened the door and I entered.”

Ali said the suspect told him his (Eze) wife mentioned him to him.

He said he became interested in the conversation when the suspect brought out the dollars.

“I counted them and saw they were complete and original. I called my apprentice to bring the money and he joined me in the Jeep. He sat at the back, while I sat beside the man in front.

“I advised that we should go inside the bank for the transaction, but he said he was in a hurry and needed to go to a construction site, where workers were waiting to be paid. He said we could do it in the Jeep,” he added.

Ali said as they were about to part ways after the transaction, the suspect received a call from a woman he claimed to be his wife.

The woman reportedly disagreed on the exchange rate.

Due to the disagreement, Eze demanded his dollars and returned the naira.

He was said to have persuaded the BDC operator to follow him to his construction site to convince his wife that the rate was good.

“He told me that his wife has £11,000 to sell to me. When we got to a traffic light on Osborne Road, he stopped to receive another call and said his wife said he should collect the money. He added that he would not be able to go to the construction site again because his wife was going to Ajah for a meeting. He said he would call us at Ajah to come for the £11,000.

“I collected the naira from my boy at the back and passed it to him, while he used his left hand to pass the dollars to my boy directly. My boy did not check because he thought it was the dollars we had counted earlier. He put the money in his pocket.

“After we alighted from the vehicle, my mind told me to take his number plate, which I did,” Ali said.

He explained that when he got to the office and his apprentice brought out the $7,000 for a business transaction, they discovered that “that the dollars were fakes,” adding that the suspect had switched off his phone.

He explained that he reported the matter to the police at the Special Fraud Unit, adding that he was referred to the X-Squad at Zone 2.

The police, upon checking with the vehicle licensing office, discovered that the address given when the vehicle was registered was non-existent.

A check on his telephone line showed it had been used to call only one number between December 2016 and February 2017.

It was gathered that the suspect, however, used the line to call a painter in Asaba, Delta State.

The painter, identified as Tony, was subsequently arrested by the police and handed over to the Zone 2 command where he confessed to know the suspect.

Tony led the police to the Ogba area of Lagos, where Eze was arrested last Friday.

“Immediately we entered the house, the first thing I saw was the Jeep he used to defraud me.

“When he was arrested, he said he could not release all the money because his group operate as a team and they had shared the money. He said he got N1.5m from the money and that is what he can return to me. But I want all my money back. He has a house and three cars,” the victim said.

The Zone 2 Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the suspect had confessed.

She said, “The BDC operator was smart enough to get the vehicle number plate and that aided police investigation. The suspect, upon his arrest, confessed to the crime. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Aderanti, has ordered that the suspect be brought to justice.”

Business

JUST IN: CBN reduces banks’ LDR to 50%

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024 4:51 pm

BodexNG

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced a review of the loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) for banks, from 65 percent to 50 percent to align with the current monetary tightening.

LDR is used to assess a bank’s liquidity by comparing its total loans to its total deposits.

An increase in the loan-to-deposit ratio allows banks to expand their credits to businesses and individuals, however, a decline in LDR reduces their ability to loan customers from depositors’ funds.

The CBN disclosed the increase in a circular on Wednesday titled ‘Re: Regulatory Measures to Improve Lending to the Sector of the Nigerian Economy’, signed by Adetona Adedeji, its acting director of the banking supervision department.

“Following a shift in the Bank’s policy stance towards a more contractionary approach, it is imperative to review the loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) policy to align with the current monetary tightening by the CBN,” the apex bank said.

“Accordingly, the CBN has decided to reduce the LDR by 15 percentage points to 50%, in a similar proportion to the increase in the CRR rate for banks.

“All DMBs are required to maintain this level and are further advised that average daily figures shall continue to be applied to assess compliance.

“While DMBs are encouraged to maintain strong risk management practices regarding their lending operations, the CBN shall continue to monitor compliance, review market developments, and make alterations in the LDR as it deems appropriate.”

Business

WhatsApp launches chat filters to allow users find messages faster

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024 12:40 pm

BodexNG

WhatsApp, the messaging app, has introduced chat filters to allow users to navigate through messages faster and more efficiently.

The Meta-owned platform announced the new feature in a blog post on Tuesday.

WhatsApp said it launched the new feature so that users can get to their important messages without having to scroll through their full inbox.

The social media service said the chat filters have three different features: “All, Unread, and Groups”.

It added that users can choose between any of the three filters that will appear at the top of their chat list.

“Opening WhatsApp and finding the right conversation should feel quick, seamless, and simple,” the post reads.

“As people increasingly do more on WhatsApp, it’s more important than ever before to be able to get to your messages fast.

“We believe filters will make it easier for people to stay organized and find their most important conversations and help navigate through messages more efficiently.

“We will continue to build more options to help you focus on what matters most.”

In recent times, WhatsApp has been actively rolling out new features to enhance user experiences and keep up with evolving communication trends.

In July last year, the Meta-owned firm unveiled an instant video messaging feature.

On August 8, the social network introduced a screen-sharing feature to enhance the video calling experience on its platform.

WhatsApp also introduced a feature that allows users to operate multiple accounts on a single device.

Business

NCAA suspends three private jet operators for engaging in commercial flights

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2024 2:42 pm

BodexNG

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says it has suspended the permit of three private jet operators for engaging in commercial flights.

Chris Najomo, acting director general of the NCAA, announced the suspension of the three private operators in a statement read to all airlines on Tuesday.

This is coming a day after Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace, said the federal government would arrest and sanction illegal flights and non-certified personnel.

Najomo said the use of private jets for commercial purposes got Keyamo’s attention in November 2023, prompting the minister to issue directives for the cessation of such activities.

“Subsequently, in March 2024, the NCAA had issued a stern warning to holders of the permit for noncommercial flight (PNCF) against engaging the carriage of passengers, cargo or meal for hire reward,” Najomo said.

“The authority had also deployed its official to monitor activities of private jet terminals across airports in Nigeria. As a consequence of this heightened surveillance, no fewer than three private operators have been found to be in violation of the annexure provision of the PNCF and part 9114 of the NCAA regulations.

“In line with our zero tolerance for violation of regulations, the authority has suspended the PNCF of these operators.

“To further sanitise the general aviation sector, I have directed that a reevaluation of all orders of PNCF be carried out on or before the 19th of April 2024 to ascertain compliance with regulatory requirements.”

Najomo also said all PNCF holders will be required to submit relevant documents to the authority within the next 72 hours.

“This riot act is also directed at existing air operators certificate (AOC) holders who utilise aircraft listed on the PNCF for commercial chatter operations,” Najomo said.

“It must be emphasised that only aircraft listed in the operation specifications of the AOC are authorised to be used in the provision of such charter services.

“Any of those AOC holders who wish to use the aircraft for charter operations must apply to the NCAA to delist it from their PNCF and include it into the AOC operations specifications.”

The NCAA also urged travellers not to patronise any airline or charter operator who does not hold a valid AOC issued by the NCAA when they wish to procure chartered operation services.

Najomo also encouraged legitimate players in the aviation industry to report the activities of such “unscrupulous” elements to the authorities promptly for necessary action.

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others