A notorious fake magician, Raphael Ekechi has been apprehended by the operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team in Ogun State for alleged fraud.
It was gathered that Ekechi reportedly defrauded a second-hand clothes trader, Emmanuel Ekpe, at Kuto Market, Abeokuta, Ogun State, of N167,000.
The 36-year-old trader had consulted Ekechi for metaphysical power to revive his business.He was said to have paid the money in piecemeal as the suspect offered him different kinds of spiritual services.
After using the substances Ekechi gave him without any result, it dawned on him that he had been defrauded.He consequently reported the case at the IRT office in Abeokuta on July 8, 2019, and Ekechi was tracked down at Alagbado area of Lagos State.
Speaking to City Round during the week, 50-year-old Ekechi, a native of Ebonyi State, said he went into the fraudulent act after his electronics business at Alaba International Market collapsed.
He said, “I am from Izza in Ebonyi State and I have four children. One day, I travelled to Accra, Ghana, to buy goods worth N3m and Customs operatives seized them. I became frustrated and could not find any means to get money to continue my business.
“I found out that some Nigerians are desperate to get rich quickly and I decided to use my brain to get what I want. I lied to my clients that I had power and that I learnt metaphysical science from India.
“I charged N7,700 for consultation form and N1m for a person who wants to win a contract. The man (Ekpe) wanted to boost his business. I charged him N167,000 but he first deposited N57,000 and promised to pay the balance in a month’s time.
“I told him that he must pay fully for the things I gave him to work. He came back to my ‘office’ and complained that what I did for him did not work. I told him to stop complaining so that the gods would not be angry with him. I did not know he would report to the police.”
Ekpe, 36, in his statement to the police, explained that he saw Ekechi’s phone number in a poster.
