A 43-year-old cleric is in the police net in Lagos for casting a spell on his U.S.-based friend to collect N105 million.

Parading the suspect on Monday, assistant inspector general of police, Zone-2, Ali Mohammed, said the cleric also charmed the friend’s wife and three children and took them over as his own.

He said the cleric’s wife assisted her husband in the alleged crime.

Mr Mohammed said aside from the money and the friend’s family, the cleric and his wife also took over five vehicles and landed properties belonging to the U.S.-based friend.

He told journalists that the suspect confessed to using spiritism to take over his friend’s family, more than N105 million and several properties in Lagos.

He said the cleric admitted to bewitching the friend into changing his children’s names and land documents into his.

Mr Mohammed said a complaint was lodged with the police on July 17, 2023, leading to the arrest of the cleric and his wife. He added that other accomplices of the cleric and his wife were currently at large, but five people were arrested.

He also said that one white Toyota Venza 2009 model, one Ashok Leland bus and landed properties were recovered from the suspects.

“The suspect abducted the petitioner’s wife and children for more than 10 years; subsequently changed their names to his through the help of his wife. He converted all the petitioner’s properties to his own, claiming that God directed him to do so,” stated the police officer.

Mr Mohammed added, “It was God that opened the petitioner’s eyes 10 years after when he realised what he was doing and returned to Nigeria to file his petition.” 

Mr Mohammed added that the cleric’s wife confessed to altering the birth documents of the complainant’s children to bear the cleric’s name. He said the cleric’s wife also admitted to receiving more than $17,000 (about N11.8 million) from the complainant.

“Investigation showed that the suspect met the complainant at a religious place in Lagos, after which they became friends. The complainant is based in the U.S.A and became close to the suspect about 16 years ago,” the AIG explained. “While they were friends, the complainant started to send the suspect money to execute a project.”

“Instead,” the police officer pointed out, “the suspect converted the complainant’s entire savings amounting to more than N105 million to his own.” 

(NAN)