How Fraudsters Sold Me Fake $290,000 Watch, Bought Abuja Property With Proceeds – Dariye

Former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, has petitioned the Nigeria Police, alleging that two men defrauded him of $290,000 (approximately ₦400 million) through the sale of a counterfeit Polo luxury wristwatch.

In a petition addressed to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, Abuja, Dariye accused the suspects of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and obtaining money under false pretence.

Dariye, who governed Plateau State between 1999 and 2007 and later served as a senator before his conviction by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the diversion of ₦1.16 billion ecological funds, said the fraud occurred in April 2024.

He explained that the men, posing as representatives of a luxury watch company, sold him the watch for $290,000. However, when he contacted the official Polo Company for verification, he was informed that the timepiece was counterfeit and the sellers had no link to the brand.

The former governor said efforts to trace the suspects initially failed, until discreet inquiries revealed they were “high-profile fraudsters.”

According to investigators, one of the suspects allegedly converted the $290,000 into about ₦250 million through a Bureau de Change, before moving the money into his company’s Keystone Bank account. Dariye further alleged that the suspect used ₦145 million from the proceeds to acquire a property in Sahara III Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja, while another ₦100 million was fixed in a deposit account.

(DAILY POST)