By Desire Emmanuel
Operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have found huge fake foreign notes comprising $3.43 million and 280,000 Euros in possession of a five-member syndicate of ‘herbalists.’
They were found with the fake notes after they were arrested for allegedly hypnotizing a woman and defrauding her of the sum of N26.55 million.
The names of the arrested ‘herbalists’ were given as Akingbola Omotayo, Adeola Funsho Ogunrinde, Yahaya Amodu, Kuburat Babalola Olaitan (female) and Familola Sunday Olaitan.
They were arrested on December 7 and 8 at their ‘shrines’ in Osun and Lagos states following what the anti graft body described as a thorough surveillance and intelligence on their fraudulent activities
According to the EFCC, investigation revealed that the five persons were allegedly defrauding unsuspecting individuals of their legitimate earnings under the pretext of providing spiritual cleansing and solutions to their different ailments.
They were said to have also allegedly assured their victims of their powers to conjure several currency notes which must be cleaned up by a genie through spiritual sacrifice before spending the money. They did all these by hypnotizing their victims to provide money for the sacrifice.
The female victim, known as Halima Sanni, was said to have been hypnotized and told to bring all the money in her possession and the lady complied, gave them the N26.55 million before she came back to her senses.
Other items reportedly recovered from them apart from the fake currency notes included two cars and mobile phones.
They are expected to be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded by the EFCC operatives.
