JUST IN : Nigerian Police, Interpol nab UAE fraudster, Mohammed Barau over N495.75m fraud

An official statement titled “Successful Extradition of Suspect in a Case of Criminal Conspiracy, Fraud, and Obtaining by False Pretence” was released by Force Public Relations Officer ACP Muyiwa Adejobi on Friday, September 29.

Reads the declaration:

Mr. Akinola Bayo Michael, the complainant in the case at hand, filed his request for foreign exchange (forex) to buy a machine from the Netherlands in October 2021.

The sum of Four Hundred and Ninety Two Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N492,750,000) was wired from Mr. Michael’s bank account directly to Mr. Mohammed Sulaiman’s.

Mr. Sulaiman, however, transferred the money to another individual, Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau, rather than facilitating the forex transaction as agreed.

After the alleged forex transaction, Mr. Hassan Barau of the United Arab Emirates wired 513,000 Euros to Mr. Michael of Belgium.

However, Mr. Michael had to refund the money because the transaction was flagged as potentially fraudulent. Mr. Michael, upon learning that he had been scammed, attempted several times, without success, to get his money back.

When the case was handed off to INTERPOL, the investigation took a dramatic turn.

Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau, the main suspect, has been placed on a red alert list by INTERPOL due to the seriousness of the fraud and the international scope of the investigation.

It is with great pleasure that we inform you that on September 27, 2023, INTERPOL Abu Dhabi apprehended and extradited Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau to Nigeria.

Mr. Akinola Bayo Michael’s extradition is a major step towards him receiving justice.

The successful extradition of Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau demonstrates the dedication of law enforcement agencies inside and outside of Nigeria to bringing those responsible for crimes, especially those with global implications, to justice.

“In this age of increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes, it is imperative that all parties to a financial transaction exercise extreme caution and thoroughness.

To avoid falling victim to fraud, we strongly advise individuals and businesses to exercise caution and confirm the legitimacy of financial transactions.