The police in Lagos State have bursted a five-man syndicate that specialises in blackmailing perceived wealthy suspects with threat to
publish their nude photographs. The antics of this group made up of a
husband and wife and three other accomplices, came to an end when they
attempted blackmailing a senior prophet of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Special Apostle Prophet T. I. Adewoye.
Adewoye was said to have been invited for a prayer
session by the only woman in the group, Mrs. Latifat Balogun. The
prayer session was scheduled to take place in Balogun's matrimonial
home.
On
getting there, Adewoye was said to have been accosted by the four men
in the group, including Balogun's husband, who is said to be on the run.
They
forcefully took Adewoye's nude photograph then demanded for a N10
million settlement for them not to make the photographs public.
After
paying N2.150 million, Adewoye was said to have refused parting with
more money and subsequently told some key members of the church about
the development.
When the matter was reported to the police, it was easy for the detectives to trace the suspects because they already had a similar case on their hands.
The suspects were said to have also blackmailed a prominent banker the same way, using Latifat Balogun as the bait.
When
the detectives went to pick up the suspect, three of them, including
Balogun's husband fled. They are yet to be apprehended and only Latifat
Balogun and Makanjuola Olagunja were arrested. The police on Monday filed charges against Latifat Balogun and Olagunja in suit No. MM/E/7/2014.
Olagunja,
50, and Balogun, 54, both of Akowonjo area of Lagos State, are facing a
six-count charge of conspiracy, assault, threatening violence,
obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.
The
Ejigbo Magistrates' Court in Lagos State, where the case is being
heard, remanded Balogun and Olagunja in prison for blackmail. The
prosecutor, ASP Nicholas Atumonye, told the court that the accused
committed the offence on November 13, 2013 at 11 Shagari Estate, Ipaja, a
suburb of Lagos State. Atumonye said that the accused conspired with
others now at large to assault one Prophet Adewoye by forcefully pulling off his clothes and taking nude photographs of him.
He said that the accused threatened to publish the nude pictures of the prophet
and unlawfully obtained N2.15 million from him to prevent the
publication of the pictures. The prosecutor said that the accused also
threatened the life of their victim by making several phone calls
demanding for money.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 56, 170, 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. Section 312 stipulates 15 years imprisonment for convicted offenders.
The
accused however, denied the charges. The prosecutor objected to bail
for the accused on the grounds that several members of their gang had
not been arrested. The Magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folami, adjourned the case
till February 14 to consider the request of the accused for bail.
PRESIDENT
Goodluck Jonathan’s order of suspension displacing Mallam Lamido Sanusi
Lamido as the country’s Central Bank Governor is causing confusion in
western capitals including Washington DC, where sources say officials
are conflicted on the real implication of the development.
