Mom of triplets seeks justice as N255m fraud case stalls for six months

Mrs. Stella Udekwe, a mother of triplets, has called on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to transfer a N255 million fraud case she instituted against one Mr. Toyosi Ayodele from the commission’s Lagos command to the headquarters in Abuja.

Udekwe believes this move will pave the way for a proper investigation and prosecution of the alleged suspects involved in the case, as the Lagos command of the commission has detained the principal suspect for over six months without trial.

In a petition titled: “Obtaining by False Pretense, Fraudulent Conversion, Stealing of N255 Million, Criminal Intimidation, and Threat to Life by Gang of Toyosi Ayodele and Tunde Saliu,” addressed to the EFCC Chairman, the petitioner alleged that the suspects lured her and swindled her out of a total sum of N255 million.

The copy of the petition, which was sent to The Guardian, was signed by Emma Dibia of Emma Dibia and Associates on behalf of Udekwe.

The petitioners disclosed that Ayodele was arrested in February 2024 and has been in EFCC custody in Lagos without trial. Udekwe is unsatisfied with the investigation process in the EFCC Lagos office under the investigation officer, Dogo of CMIF 2/TB.

The petition reads in part: “We are lawyers to Mrs. Stella Udekwe herein referred to as our client and on whose instructions we write you this petition.

“Our client informed us that she was defrauded of the sum of N255,000,000.00 (Two hundred and fifty-five million naira) by a gang of fraudsters led by Toyosi Ayodele and Tunde Saliu, who use business names of REAPRITE and AGRORITE to lure innocent citizens to invest their funds for agricultural purposes with promises to pay returns on investments to their innocent victims but end up disappearing.

“All efforts to reach them prove abortive as they become completely evasive.

“Unknown to our client, several persons within and outside Lagos have fallen victims to these fraudsters to the tune of over N3 billion naira.

“These Toyosi Ayodele and Tunde Saliu lured our client with immense disguise and collected the below various sums:
– Reaprite Global Ltd, Zenith Bank, N200,000,000.00 (Two hundred million naira)
– Reaprite Global Ltd, FCMB, 7526250013, N30,000,000.00 (Thirty million naira)
– Reaprite Global Ltd, Access Bank, 1534415311, N10,000,000.00 (Ten million naira)
– Reaprite Global Ltd, Providus Bank, 5400563243, N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen million naira).

“Our client reported this fraud to the EFCC office in Lagos, and the gang ringleader Toyosi Ayodele was arrested in February 2024. Till date, the said Toyosi has been in EFCC custody in Lagos.

“He has not been charged to court nor has he returned any single kobo. This Toyosi boasted in the physical presence of our client that ‘you are just acting Nollywood and that EFCC is not working.’

“He further said, ‘Can’t you see how relaxed I have been and am ready to remain here comfortably till you are tired? You may even die in the process, and I will walk out of here freely.’

“Our client broke down in tears, helpless and frustrated because this money is her life savings, and she is currently left in penury.

“We implore your good office to investigate this matter with the possible transfer of this matter to Abuja to enable us to have close monitoring on this matter.”