Unknown Fraudster Wired N500,000 To 2 Brothers' Account. Now, They Are In A Cell

ISTP:
Tobi Adetoye and Michael Adetoye, residents of Ibadan, have been arrested and detained by officials of the Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos, for receiving N500,000 in their account.

Seyi Adetoye, a relative of the detainees, told FIJ on Friday that the brothers were handed over to the Special Fraud Unit by officials of Kuda Bank on Thursday.

Seyi stated that Kuda froze their account on Wednesday and requested that they visit their Lagos office for a resolution.

“On Wednesday, someone sent N500,000 into my brothers’ account, which turned out to be money got through fraud,” Seyi told FIJ.

“Subsequently, their account was frozen by Kuda Bank as a result of the transaction. My brothers reached out to Kuda to complain, and the bank asked them to visit their Lagos office for the issue to be resolved.

“Tobi and Michael travelled from Ibadan to Lagos on Thursday to rectify the issue, only to get to Kuda Bank’s headquarters in Lagos and be handed over to the Special Fraud Unit.”

A WANTED SENDER

Seyi told FIJ that Kuda handed the brothers to the police because they had received the money from someone on the Special Fraud Unit’s wanted list.

“When Michael’s wife and I got to Ikoyi, where they were detained, we were told that the sender of the money was the one who got them into trouble,” said Seyi.

“The officials at the Fraud Unit told us that the sender was a fraudster who was on the wanted list of the anti-crime agency.

“They do not know the sender or have any sort of relationship with him.”

A LEASED OPAY ACCOUNT

FIJ probed further and realised that the account that led to the arrest was an Opay account rented out for business.

“They have an Opay account, which they rented out for business transactions, and the alleged fraudster had sent the money into the account,” said Seyi.

“They own the account, but it wasn’t managed by them. The account was being managed by the person they leased it out to

“The bank verification number linked with the Opay account was traced to their own Kuda account, and that was how they were involved in the first place.

“They know nothing about the money or it’s sender.”

STRINGENT BAIL TERMS

Seyi told FIJ that the fraud unit had agreed to release the brothers on meeting certain conditions.

“The officers are asking them to repay the N5 million stolen by the fraudster,” he said.

“They didn’t even know about the money or how it was spent.”

However, the conditions were later changed to the certificate of ownership of a property within the state and a senior police officer surety.

“They will be bailed, but they have to provide a level 14 police officer and the certificate of ownership of a landed property in Lagos.”

WE CAN’T DISCLOSE ANY INFO OVER THE PHONE

When FIJ contacted the investigating police officer in charge of the case, who simply identified as Ezekiel, he said: “the money passed through their account, somebody transferred the money to them and they are denying knowledge of the sender”.

When FIJ asked if the sender was on the police’s wanted list, the officer declined to comment further.

“See, if you want to know more about the issue, come to my office. I can’t disclose further information over the phone,” he said.

When FIJ contacted Kuda Bank for comments on the issue, a customer care agent asked that our reporter send them an email, but at press time, they had not responded to the email.