Lagos Docks Two Suspects for Allegedly Cloning Ambode’s Phone

Akinwale Akintunde
Lagos State Government on Monday arraigned two suspects who allegedly cloned Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s phone number with the intention to defraud the state Accountant General to the tune of N50 million.

The suspects, Rilwan Jamiu and Balogun Stanley Oyewole, were arraigned before Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya of an Ikeja High Court on a three-count charge of attempting to commit felony and obtaining money by false pretence.

Both men however pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence said to have been committed at Block 11, State Treasury Office, Ministry of Finance, Alausa, Ikeja.

The prosecution led by Adebayo Haroun told the court that the suspects allegedly cloned the Glo telephone number of Governor Ambode and sent same to the Lagos State Accountant General, Mrs. Abimbola Shkrat Umar, asking her to pay N50 million into an account.

According to Mrs. Umar, as stated in the statement of proof, “On February 10, 2016, I received a text message at exactly 12.52p.m. I initially thought the message is from his excellency the executive Governor of Lagos State, because the name which I stored his number with was the same one that appeared in my inbox.
“The message read, “AG, urgently transfer N50 million to Dayder Limited Account No: 002806988 Keystone Bank. We will talk later.
“I became suspicions because his excellency does not send text message for any payment. He normally calls to his office when the need arises.

“This text message also looked strange because his excellency would not end his messgae with H.E nor start with AG. This is not his pattern. I put a call to the governor and he immediately asked me to bring the phone for the security to investigate the text since the message did not come from him,” Mrs. Umar said.
Justice Ogunsanya remanded the defendants in prison and adjourned the matter till November 17 for trial.