Crime
Cleric collects N30m to buy lion’s skull, elephant’s intestines, gorilla’s liver, others for oil-prospecting Korean; NNPC,INEC bosses, Buhari’s media aide roped in
Jamiu Isiaka, an Islamic cleric, based in Ilorin is a man of many parts.
Besides being President Muhammadu Buhari’s media aide Femi Adesina, he is also the late NNPC boss Maikanti Baru and INEC Commissioner Amina Zakar.
To crown it all, he is a herbalist, occupying a four-bedroom bungalow furnished with creatures’ comforts, including a fridge, an air conditioner, a washing machine, TV set, and others.
His field of specialization is in rituals for helping foreigners secure NNPC oil contracts.
Keun Sig Kim was one of his clients, until the South Korean knew the ‘NNPC boss’ was milking him for the heck of it. By then, he had paid Isiaka N30 million to facilitate the contract.
The EFCC said it was a financial crime, fraud, obtaining by false pretence, when the commission brought him to a Kwara high court before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar.
According to O.B. Akinsola, the EFCC counsel, Jamiu deceived the Korean under the pretext of securing NNPC approval/marketing form and license certificate to buy crude oil in Nigeria.
But the suspect debunked the claim.
He told his interrogators he spent the money to buy ritual materials to sacrifice on behalf of the Korean.
According to Isiaka, part of the money was spent on buying vulture, elephant skin, elephant intestines, the skull of a lion, and the liver of gorilla –all for the sacrifice.
But he had nothing to say against the allegation of impersonation.
Justice Abdulgafar found Jamiu guilty of the four counts sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each count.
The jail term will run concurrently.
The judge ordered the forfeiture of some properties recovered from the convict, which are proceeds of his unlawful activities.