…Confession of fake custom officer arrested over N7m fraud
Anyone who comes across Ramoni Raji, on his grey-coloured Nigeria Customs Service uniform and the rank of Deputy Superintendent on his shoulders, would pass him for a real custom officer. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case for the 60-year-old man whose stock-in-trade is to swindle prospective buyers of auctioned goods from the customs.
Anyone who comes across Ramoni Raji, on his grey-coloured Nigeria Customs Service uniform and the rank of Deputy Superintendent on his shoulders, would pass him for a real custom officer. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case for the 60-year-old man whose stock-in-trade is to swindle prospective buyers of auctioned goods from the customs.
His dirty deals blew open after operatives from the special anti-robbery squad, SARS, Zone two, Lagos got wind of hie nefarious activities after he swindled a middle-aged woman, Kikelomo Godson of the sum of N7m when she attempted to procure some seized goods from the customs.
They laid a trap and arrested him with two other members of his syndicate at Apapa area of Lagos State. Security operatives used a man who set him up and they ended up in their net. The suspect told Crime Alert exclusively during an interview that he took to fraud since 1978 owing to his inability to get engaged in a better means of livelihood.
He said “I have been a fraudster for over 34 years and this is the only job I know how to do. Before I went into fraud, I tried some other jobs but they weren’t providing enough money that will fend for me my family. I started using this Custom uniform last year when I and one Chief Doati decided to form a syndicate that could defraud prospective buyers of auctioned goods. You know lots of people are competing to buy Customs auctioned goods because they are very cheap.
“So, I and Chief Doati thought it wise to swindle prospective buyers. First, I bought a uniform from Customs Training School, Ikeja, and I sewed it at a tailoring shop in my area in Ipaja. Chief Doati’s job was to get our victims. He will tell them that he has connections in the Nigeria Customs Service that could help facilitate the easy buying of auctioned goods. Then, he would link them to me.
“All I needed to do was to take them to a warehouse in any of the Ports and also at the Federal Operations Unit in Ikeja. I will then show them goods and if they indicate interest, I would give them prices for the goods and ask them to pay part of the money so that I can start processing the papers for them in Abuja. My victims usually pay me as fast as they could because I normally tell them that there are other people biding for the goods. I get the money from them and then disappear into thin air. That would be the last they would hear from me.”
The suspect, Ramuni Raji
When asked the number of his unsuspecting victims, the suspect kept mute refusing to divulge names of people he has duped, but he agreed to have swindled one Mrs Godson of her money but added that he took only N3m from her. “She came to me last August at Apapa Warf and asked if I could help her buy auctioned goods from the Customs. I told her that the Customs wanted to sell two trailer loads of rice that was impounded from an importer.
“I took her to a warehouse filled with rice and told her that they would be sold for N5000 each; she agreed and gave me part payment. She showed me so much optimism and I thought of getting more money from her. I then told her I had a better business for her. I took her to Federal Operations Unit in Ikeja and showed her Hilux trucks assuring her that if she could buy them, she would make better profits. She asked for the prices and I told her that each of it would be sold for N1.5 million against the original prices. I don’t know how she did it, the next thing I saw was that she gave me a check of N2m and I cashed it from the bank. After I took the money, I disappeared.
“I and Chief Doati shared the money. But last week, I got a call from one of my scouts who usually get customer for me and he said some people were looking for textile materials seized by the customs and asked if I can help them get it for them. So I agreed to meet with. I didn’t know it was a set up. I met with the party and told them to pay N5m for the goods and they gave me a First Bank Cheque for N5 m. I was arrested by the police who were waiting for me at the banking premises.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Godson who spoke with Crime Alert on the phone over the incident said she has been hospitalized since the incident occurred. She also said she borrowed some of the money Raji took from her.
According to her, “I met Raji through one Chief Doati who claimed he was a retired Custom officer who could link me to his colleagues still in service. He gave me Raji’s phone number and I contacted Raji. We agreed to meet at Apapa wharf. I thought I was dealing with a genuine Custom officer, I never knew that he was a fraudster. He showed me a warehouse filled with rice and said custom wanted to auction them at N5,500 per bag.
You know a trailer load of rice contains 600 bags, so, I paid him N3.3 m for the rice. Then he said rice don’t pay that he has a better business for me. He took me to Federal Operations Unit in Ikeja and showed me three white colored Hilux trucks and said if I could raise enough money that Custom intend to auction them. While at FOU, everyone that came across him greeted him properly.
“They opened their gate for him and he walked around the premises like a genuine officer. After getting the prices, I then contacted one of my business partners in Port- Harcourt to lend me N4 million so that I would pay for the goods pending when Raji would process the papers. And the man brought the money for me. I even went to pick the man from the airport with him and he gave a cheque of N4 m. After he got the money, he disappeared. He stopped picking my calls and I made several efforts to see him but I couldn’t. I fell sick over the lose and the man who provided the money for the business have been on my neck ever since.”
Vanguard Nigeria
