Native doctor, former lover dupe US based taxi driver N4m

• it’s a lie – lover

By  OKOSUN DENNIS

A lady and a native doctor, who allegedly connived to dupe a U.S based Nigerian of N4m have been arrested by the police.

The lady identified as Oyebode Olufunke, 36, a petty trader was the former girlfriend to the victim, Kazeem Oyewole, a cab driver in Brooklyn, United States of America.

National Daily learnt that Kazeem visited the country recently when he was introduced to the Ogun based herbalist, Abiodun David by a friend. During which he disclosed having some business challenges in the United States of America.

Shortly after, they hatched a deal to assist him with charms to accelerate his progress in business. It was gathered that the suspect assured the victim that all would be well henceforth. Kazeem was thereafter given some concoction to drink.

Unfortunately, it was further disclosed, when Kazeem got to US, things were still the same necessitating the man (Kazeem) to challenge the native doctor that the charms were not working considering that he had demanded for additional money.

Speaking with National Daily, Abiodun, 47 years old native doctor denied he was neither a dupe nor collected N4m from the Kazeem as alleged.

He explained that he knew the man through a client that brought him to his house and charged him N320,000 which he paid by two instalments of N180,000 and the balance later. He claimed he did not take any other money from the victim or sent any message to him for more money and the victim painted to the police.

Tortoise inside a cage used by the native doctor to cajole his clients

Parading before newsmen at the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, the suspects with a live tortoise, (he uses to cajole his unsuspecting victims) it was gathered that his arrest was made possible by the Zonal Intervention Squad, (ZIS) in Ogun state.

The former barber, who became a native doctor three years ago and operates from his house at Onigbogbo, Ator, Ogun state, is married with five children. He further explained that he actually prepared charms for some of his clients but had doubts on the efficacy of some of his charms. “Some of the charms can work and some might not work,” he narrated.

Debunking her involvement in the scam, Olufunke, admitted that she was a former girlfriend to the victim but does not know the native doctor, Abiodun as alleged even while romancing with the victim.

“I met him (Kazeem) today for the first time in my life. I don’t know him and has never had any interaction with him as alleged.”

On why she quitted the relationship, “I parted ways with him when his wife knew about our amorous relationship. Kazeem once sent me N30,000 when I was sick to enable me buy some medication.

“He was my boyfriend but left him when his wife discovered that I was romancing her husband. I don’t know the native doctor. I run a cottage business which I used to assist my two kids. I am not a dupe and did not connive with the native doctor to dupe my former boyfriend.

“It’s all lies. I am being framed into a matter I don’t know anything about,” she explained crying.

Corroborating what Olufunke said, Abiodun denied knowing the girl. I cannot tell lies claiming I know her. I have never met her before. I just met her here for the first time. She was not the one that engineered me to dupe Kazeem. It is all lies,” he stated.

National Daily gathered that it was Kazeem that forwarded the former lover’s picture to the police alleging that she might have connived with the herbalist to dupe him considering that she knows his phone number.

The Zonal Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmus told National Daily that the herbalist sent a recharge card to Kazeem’s phone number when he visited the country. “When he received it, he was shocked because he was not expecting a recharge card from anyone. Moreover, he didn’t know the person that sent the card.

“Shortly after that, the number that sent the recharge called pleading that he should not use the card as it was mistakenly sent in error to him but was met for the son in school.

Sympathetically, the victim was said to have sent back the card. “Later on, the ZPPRO added, Abiodun called him to say he would assist him because he realised that certain things were not going on well with him. Kazeem eventually located him and when they met where he turned a paper to money saying that there was nothing he cannot do.

The complainant was said to have been feed with concoction when he visited Abiodun. “When he got back to US, Abiodun started asking for more money while the complainant said the medicine wasn’t working. At that point, the native doctor threatened to kill him boasting he would turn the concoction he drank to poison that will kill him.

Disclosing how the police got to know about the case considering that the complainant lives abroad, SP Badmus noted that “The complainant actually sent a text message to our response men and that was how investigation started.

From every indication, we realised the herbalist duped the man with evidence of money transfer, she added.

Explaining how the lover was roped in, SP Badmus disclosed that “The complainant alleged that the lady might have masterminded the deal considering she is the only one that knew his phone number as a girlfriend.

“After visiting the herbalist, he discovered that her shop was very close to the suspect’s house. From his deduction, he has some feelings that the woman might have set him up. We are still investigating to know whether she was actually involved or not.