Emmanuel Ukudolo l Monday, April 24, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, represented by a witness, Mr. Ganiu Ajisafe, today told an Ikeja High Court how one Vincent Ayewah and his siblings connived with friends to defraud Rose of Sharon Foundation, owned by Nigeria’s business tycoon and Richest Black woman on earth, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija to the tune of N3 million.
Ajisafe, led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. M.D. Aliu, told the court that Ayewah, a staff of the foundation who reports directly to the project officer planned with his two siblings and friends to forge the identity card of the beneficiaries of the foundation, so as to convert the said sum to themselves.
He explained that in the course of investigation, letters of were sent to Fidelity and Stanbic IBTC bank. He added that the home of Ayewah and Mr. George were searched and the fake I.D cards and the system used were recovered.
“Vincent connived with his siblings, who were also beneficiaries at the foundation and friends to forge the I.D. card of the foundation with different names to defraud the organization,” Ayewah said.
Ayewah was arraigned alongside his two siblings, Florence Ayewah, Emmanuel Ayewah and his friends, Onuwa David, Okoronkwo Chikadibia, Ehizibolo George, Chinyere Awanah, on a 28 count bordering on conspiracy,stealing,forgery and impersonation.
According to the petition written to the EFCC, Alakija said that the foundation received complaints from some of the beneficiaries of the foundation’s scholarship awards regarding their unpaid school fees.
She added that she instructed the project officer to investigate the complaints and it revealed that Ayewah had been fraudulently misappropriating the funds meant for widows and orphans.
According to her, Ayewah confessed to the crime and promised not to do so again but he continued stealing and graduated to forging the cheques of the foundation’s Stanbic IBTC Bank account.
However, the presiding Judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, adjourned till June 1, 2017, for continuation of trial.
