Three Nigerians Busted For 419

THE SAKUMONO District Police Headquarters has arrested three Nigerians who defrauded a Namibian of several millions of dollars amounting to about GH�9,150, under the pretext of appointing him as an ambassador to refugees with the United Nations in Ghana. The three, together with their accomplices who have gone into hiding, were said to have met the Namibian on the internet and posed as Ghanaians working with United Nations and ECOWAS. They claimed that they could offer him an ambassadorial position and managed to get him to fly from South Africa to Ghana. According to the complainant, who broke down in tears upon realizing that he had been duped, this was the third time he was going through such an ordeal, adding that he never suspected he was being duped because the group insisted they were genuine. The three are Dr. Lawson, whose real name is Benjamin Anyamu, 50; Clever Ogba, 57 and Michael Ogua, 35. The names of those on the run were given as Dr. John King and Barrister Paul Mensah, the boss. Clever Ogba claims to be a sales person with Edmark Agency in Tema, but posed as the driver to Dr. John King while Michael Ogua, 35, posed as the personal assistant to the said John King and Barrister Paul Mensah. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in his office, Superintendent Alex Kodjo Wowolo, the commander of the station, said the complainant, Tarlor Nico Gustiv, a white Namibian residing in South Africa, met the group on the internet and they offered him an ambassadorial position relating to refugees. Since the complainant was already working in that field, he did not hesitate to accept the proposal. The group sent him a form to be filled and sent back via e-mail to Hon. John King, who claimed to be the Chairman of the United Nations Task Force. According to Superintendent Wowolo, the complainant later received a letter, purportedly from the office of the President of the Republic of Ghana. The letter was allegedly signed by President John Evans Atta Mills, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and a certain Terry Morrison from the United Nations Office of Human Resources Management, confirming his position as an ambassador. The complainant was told to send money for the registration and processing of his membership card, and was invited to attend a conference where all newly elected ambassadors would meet. Gustiv obliged and paid about $2250, but could not attend the conference due to ill-health. Barrister Mensah however got in touch with him and told him to come to Ghana anytime he was ready. The complainant arrived in Ghana on June 1, 2011 and was introduced to a Dr. Lawson, an official of ECOWAS who would fast-track the process. Gustiv was taken to a popular and luxurious hotel in Sakumono, where he met Barrister Mensah, who said his mother had been admitted in the hospital, while another relative was dead so he had to go home. He however noted that he would be away for a few days, adding that during that time his colleagues would take care of him (complainant). The other members of the group later came to see him and indicated that they had a consignment with his name on it, adding that they could help him clear it from the warehouse but he would have to pay $100 for a form and $480 for other expenses. They also added that he would not get the consignment unless he became a member of ECOWAS. Even though the complainant had not shipped any items to Ghana, he paid the money, but became very suspicious especially when they told him not to talk to anybody around since it was dangerous to do so. He demanded to see the consignment and was taken to a guest house instead of the warehouse, which unknown to him, was their house. One aluminium box and a silver box were shown to him. The fraudsters said they could not open up the boxes because the keys were not with them. They again told him that he had to pay $200 so they could begin procedures for him to become ambassador. They then took him to the Kofi Annan Centre, where they asked him if he had a yellow card on him, but he said no. The fraudsters then told him that he would not be permitted to enter the office where processing would be done because he did not have the yellow card. They told him that they would have to go back to the guest house but they would need six photographs for registration and two for access cards, adding that he would have pay $100 for the registration and $150 for the card. The complainant then told them that he had no money on him and would therefore have to go to the ATM to cash money. They agreed to pick him up in the morning of June 9, 2011, to cash the money, but unfortunately for them, they were arrested by the police upon a tip off. According to the commander, Dr. Lawson and Clever Ogba were arrested, together with the white man, while waiting for the car to pick them up. The personal assistant was arrested later on upon a tip-off.