Two herbalists, Lukman Ganiyu, 28, and Ojo Oluwaseun, 38, have been arrested by operatives of Edo State Police Command for allegedly duping two ladies of N876,000.
It was gathered that the two women seeking spiritually accelerated growth in their individual businesses had sought the services of the herbalists who at different stages allegedly demanded and received the money.
The women were said to have reported to the police after their desired business breakthroughs promised by the herbalists failed to show up.
Parading the two herbalists before journalists at the police command headquarters, Benin, on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Edo, SP Chidi Nwabuzor said the duo were arrested on February 2, at Ugbiyokho Community by operatives of the Command Surveillance Team.
Nwabuzor explained that the operatives acted following a case of obtaining money under false pretence reported by Mrs Joy Akhiobare and Mrs. Ijeoma Blessing Kalu.
He said the duo went to the suspects to seek spiritual help over their collapsing businesses when they were duped by the suspects.
“A case of obtaining money under false pretence reported by one Mrs. JOY AKHIOBARE ‘F’ and Mrs. IJEOMA BLESSING who went to the suspects to seek for spiritual help over the collapsing of their businesses, but at the end Mrs. JOY AKHIOBARE was duped by the suspects of the sum of Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira while Mrs. IJEOMA BLESSING KALU was duped of Twenty-Six Thousand Naira by the same suspects,” Nwabuzor said.
“The suspect under pretence of spiritual help deceitfully obtained N850,000 from Joy Akhiobare and N26,000 from Ijeoma Blessing Kalu respectively,” he said.
The police spokesman further said that the police recovered the charm which the suspects used to deceive and threaten the women that they would die if they reported the issue to anybody. He said the suspects would be charged to court soon.
In an interview with journalists, one of the suspects, Ganiyu Lukman, who claimed to be from Ekiti Sate, said he only duped the women of N236,000.
“I do fake herbalist and duped the women of N236,000. I came to Benin on January 16, and I was arrested February 2. One of them came to meet me that she has a problem in her marriage and that I should help her, being a native doctor,” he stated.
