By Thompson Yamput
The Police in Kogi have detained three suspects for allegedly using the name and office of the Kogi First Lady, Sefinat Usman-Ododo, to defraud unsuspecting victims.
The Spokesman of the Command, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, who confirmed the arrest on Tuesday in Lokoja, said the suspects (names witheld) were in custody of the Police Quick Response Unit.
He said the trio allegedly printed forms and sold it to unsuspecting members of the public for enrolment into a fake empowerment programme.
The suspects, he said, printed the forms with the name: Kogi State Cooperative Federation of Nigeri.
He said the trio reportedly deceived their victims that the said cooperative was the empowerment platform of the First Lady.
“The suspects were nabbed in Lokoja on Tuesday, when an undercover agent approached them and bought the form
“The matter is under investigation and once concluded we shall prosecute them accordingly,” he said.
A top aide of the governor’s wife, who craved anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the incident.
“It’s unfortunate that some heartless individuals are still defrauding the poor in our midst .
“Yes, Her Excellency Hajia Sefinat Usman-Ododo got wind of the fraudulent activities of those three fraudsters and she was the one that initiated the process leading to their arrest.
“This is because she was deeply concerned about the plight of the poor women, who might have believe the fake empowerment.
“Her Excellency is into a lot of programs to empower women and children and these programs are well communicated to members of the public. Our channels of communication are clear and known to the people.
“Let me advise members of the public to always do thorough checks before taking steps.
“Her Excellency wouldn’t have sold an empowerment form to anyone. It will also be good if those people are prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others, ” the aide said. NAN
