EFCC Nabs Galaxy
EFCC Nabs Galaxy Boss, Sokoto Voodoist over
Frauds
How Galaxy Boss Pulled-off N7bn Fraud on Nigerian
Investors
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested
the Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Transportation and
Construction Services Limited, Babagana Dalori, who defraud 27,400
Nigerians to the tune of about N7billion through fake promises of
mouth-watering returns on their investment in his companies.
Dalori, who is currently undergoing interrogation in the
Commission, had incorporated the firm in 2012 with one tricycle
(Keke NAPEP), which through pool investments by members of the
public later boasted of 50 tricycles.
The entrepreneur later diversified into other business ventures
while promising mouth-watering returns to investors. The
Commission’s investigators discovered that Dalori initially paid
200 percent interest on investors’ deposits in the firm and later
reduced the interest to 135 percent before the scheme crashed in
2018.
To suck as many unsuspecting victims into his ponzi net, Dalori
engaged in massive advertisements on radio and television,
including a production of a movie by A-list Nollywood actors, which
aimed at convincing members of the public to invest in his
companies.
As a victim stated, “he even went to the extent of organizing
Nollywood stars to produce a movie for him to further promote
public investment into his company. He specifically organized some
actors and actresses in Kannywood to act in a movie called “Zero
Hour” to show the need for people to invest in Galaxy.
“Unfortunately, his gimmicks paid off as different people took
their hard-earned savings, inheritance, pensions and other source
of income and invested in Galaxy. Now, the scheme has crashed and
investors can no longer get their money.
“At the moment, he has used the investors money to incorporate
different entities without getting their consent. He now has Galaxy
Global Energy Concept Ltd, Galaxy Miners Concept Ltd, Galaxy Global
Farms, Galaxy Computers, Galaxy Block Making Factory, Galaxy
Hospital and Galaxy Hotel.”
Dalori’s modus-operandi is typical of those of Nigerian wonder
banks, by accepting deposits from members of the public when his
company is not a licensed financial institution, the suspect and
his company have committed a criminal act punishable by the Banks
and Other Financial Institutions Act.
At the moment, all bank accounts belonging to Galaxy have been
frozen in order to prevent further dissipation of investors’ funds,
pending the conclusion of investigation.
His media aide, Cletus Onoja, however, blamed Dalori’s inability
to honour his obligation to his investors on the loss of one of his
companies’ largest dredgers in Jere sand mining site in Kaduna
State.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
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Sokoto Voodooist
EFCC Docks Fraudulent Spiritualist in
Sokoto
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Sokoto Zonal
Office, on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 arraigned one Umaru Isma’ila
before Justice Bello Duwale of the Sokoto State High court, sitting
in Sokoto, on a two-count charge, bordering on obtaining money by
false pretence to the tune of N668, 000 (Six Hundred and Sixty
Eight Thousand Naira).
The complainant, Sani Musa alleged that sometime in 2017, he met
the defendant through his friend, Mujitafa, who invited him to
Sokoto to meet the defendant, whom he claimed could produce money
through voodoo.
Musa disclosed that he travelled to meet Isma’ila, who told him
that he will pray for him to be rich but that he had to buy some
perfumes for the prayers. For that, the defendant collected several
amounts of money from him on different dates.
The complainant disclosed that he later found out that the whole
thing was a fraud and that all efforts for him to recover his money
proved abortive.
Count one reads: “That you Umaru Ismaila sometime between the
months of March, 2017, June and July, 2018 at Sokoto within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did
obtain the total sum N668,000.00 (Six Hundred and Sixty Eight
Thousand Naira) from one Sani Musa, when you falsely represented
yourself to him as capable of making him become rich (wealthy) by
praying for him, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby
committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance
Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and
punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, Habila Jonathan,
asked the court for a date for the commencement of trial and prayed
the court to remand the defendant in prison custody.
However, the defense counsel, A. Anas prayed the court to grant
the defendant bail, arguing that his offences were bailable.
Justice Duwale granted the defendant bail in the sum of N20, 000
(Twenty Thousand Naira) and one surety in the like sum. The surety
must be the Local Government Area Councillor, representing the
defendant.
The matter was adjourned to May 6, 2019 for hearing, while the
defendant was remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of
his bail conditions.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity