The Police have arrested a suspected fraudster, Rotimi Adeluola, who had been on the run for two years.
The billionaire fraudster allegedly drove himself to the ldimu Police Division to share money to some officers, but he was promptly arrested.
Adeluola, who is presently cooling his heels at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos, was said to have over 10 multi-million naira fraud cases at the ldimu Police Division before his arrest.
According to a reliable police source, the 47-year-old suspect, who is known to be highly connected to political and security big wigs in the society, was said to have evaded arrest and shunned several invitations sent to him by the former Divisional Police Officer, Superintendent Solomon Adebayo Fayomi.
The suspect was said to have visited the police division on February 12, 2018, boasting that he was untouchable, while sharing money to some of his friends in the police to celebrate the re-deployment of Superintendent Fayomi, who had declared him wanted two years ago.
His alleged boasting and arrogant utterances was said to have angered some senior police officers at the Division, who in turn reported him to the newly posted DPO, Mr Oliver Ezirim, a chief superintendent of police, who immediately ordered his arrest, detention and subsequently charged him to an Ejigbo court the following day.
In a five-count charge, marked ‘MM/39/2018’, the suspect and others, now at large, were said to have, on October 24, 2017, at Egbeda- ldimu Road, in Lagos magisterial district, obtained money by false pretence, punishable under section 411 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
He was also alleged to have defrauded two ladies, Tochukwu Okoli and Chidimma Ugwueze of N840,700 and N500,000, respectively, totalling N1,340,700 and thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Sections 314 and 287 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The investigating police officer, lnspector Kayode Ogunsoro, and the Prosecutor, Superintendent Kenneth Asibor, had told the court that the suspect, at about 10am at ldimu police station, “Did unlawfully and disorderly conduct himself in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by using abusive language on the DPO, SP Solomon Adebayo Fayomi, and his men with intent to intimidate, provoke and annoy them, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 56 (a) of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
While admitting the suspect to bail, the Magistrate, Mrs J.O.E Adeyemi Ajayi, ruled that Adeluola would provide two surties with two years tax clearance and affidavit of means.
According to the magistrate, one of the sureties would deposit the sum of N200,000 with the Court Registrar, while the sum of N50,000 would be paid as part of the bail conditions.
The case was adjourned to march 19, while the suspect was taken to prison, pending when formalities for his release would be concluded.
