The Nigeria Police Force has successfully extradited a suspected fraudster, identified as Hassan Barau, to Nigeria. Barau stands accused of defrauding Bayo Akinola of a staggering sum of N492,750,000.
The case came to light when Akinola filed a complaint in 2021, alleging that he had fallen victim to Barau’s fraudulent activities.
Akinola’s ordeal began when he sought to obtain foreign exchange (forex) for the purpose of purchasing a machine from the Netherlands.
Victim transfers N492.7 million in forex deal
According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson for the police force, Akinola transferred the substantial sum of N492,750,000 to the bank account of Mr. Mohammed Sulaiman with the expectation that the funds would facilitate the forex transaction as initially agreed.
However, instead of honoring the agreement, Mr. Sulaiman redirected the funds to another individual, Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau.
Barau, who resides in the United Arab Emirates, subsequently transferred 513,000 Euros to Akinola from Belgium, ostensibly for the forex transaction.
However, suspicions arose, and the transaction was flagged as fraudulent. Akinola promptly returned the funds to the sender, realizing he had been a victim of a scam.
His efforts to recover his money through multiple attempts were in vain.
This complex case was subsequently assigned to INTERPOL, which launched a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
Barau was placed on a red alert list, facilitating international cooperation in tracking and apprehending the suspect.
The breakthrough came when INTERPOL Abu Dhabi successfully arrested Mohammed Hassan Barau.
He was subsequently extradited to Nigeria on September 27, marking a crucial milestone in the pursuit of justice for Akinola Bayo Michael.
Adejobi emphasized that this successful extradition highlights the commitment of law enforcement agencies, both within and outside Nigeria, to ensure that those responsible for criminal activities, particularly those with international dimensions, are held accountable for their actions.