Arrest Warrant: Businesswoman Denies Fleeing From Police Over Alleged N750m Fraud
Wale Igbintade
A Nigerian business woman, Ese Cynthia Daniel, has refuted claims of being on the run and evading arrest and investigation over alleged N750 million fraud.
The business woman, who expressed shock at the development, said she went abroad for medical reasons and would present herself to the police as soon as she returns.
“I will visit the police station to answer any question they may have as soon as I return to Nigeria after my treatment. I have already begun the process of reaching out to the police to provide further clarity on my medical condition and my expected date of return,” she said in a statement yesterday.
Her words: “My attention has been drawn to a Special Police Gazette Bulletin wherein I was declared wanted by the police for purportedly absconding from Nigeria after obtaining the sum of N750,000,000 from a client.
“Sometime ago I entered into a business transaction to procure a large amount of US dollars for a client, one Ms. Temitope Lawanson (formerly known as Temitope Akintayo, a former branch manager of FCMB, Adeola Hopewell Branch).
“It was a term of the agreement that Lawanson would pay the naira equivalent of the dollar sum to facilitate the procurement of the dollars.
“I informed Lawanson that the required dollars would be sourced from 3rd party companies who are licensed to provide dollars for sale and thereafter I would remit the dollars to her.
“In performance of the agreement, I obtained and remitted some dollars to her. Unfortunately, some of the companies we dealt with failed to provide the required dollars after obtaining the naira amounts of the money.
“When these persons failed to remit the funds after repeated demands to do so, I petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). I can provide a copy of the Petition on request. I have provided the EFCC with all the evidence including my bank accounts that show that the monies I received from my client were transferred to these 3rd parties.
“The 3rd parties have admitted receiving the funds and promised to return them. They even signed post dated cheques for the amounts being owed, however, these cheques were returned without any value being received. The EFCC is currently investigating the matter.”
She further explained that Lawanson has also filed her petition at the EFCC and those petitions have been consolidated, adding that there are various court cases pending in respect of the matter.
Daniel regretted that though Lawanson is aware of all the facts of the case and the efforts being made to recover her funds, she proceeded to file several other complaints at different police stations across the country on the same issue being investigated by the EFCC and now pending in the several court cases filed.
“I have informed the police that I had to travel to receive medical treatment and I provided a medical report to support this. I have also informed the police of when I will be back in Nigeria and craved their indulgence to grant me some time to attend as soon as I return.
“It has come as a huge shock to me that I would be declared wanted in spite of these facts. I note that the “wanted” notice that has been bandied about to all specifically states it is ‘confidential’ and ‘for police use only’. I am surprised that a Police Gazette meant for police use only is being used by a private individual to harass and intimidate me.
“It is clear from the above that I have not committed any fraud against Lawanson. She is aware that I am not in possession of any of her money. She is aware of the identities of the 3rd parties who received the monies. She has been provided with copies of all the post dated cheques these parties signed over to me along with all their promises to repay the amounts paid to them,” she
