A businessman, Terisa Suleiman, who had been facing trial in a case of stealing, has died in custody at Kirirkiri Maximum Prison, the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission has announced.
Suleiman, one of its two suspects in an alleged stealing of $2,250,000 from two bankers died in Kirikiri on Friday July 17, 2015.
EFCC announced the death of the suspect in a statement on Thursday.
According to the statement, “a businessman and foreign exchange dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Yerima remanded in prison custody following an on-going trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been reported dead.
“Yerima died last Friday during the end of Ramadan fasting prayers on the Muslim Praying Ground in Kirikiri prison, Lagos.
“Officials told PRNigeria that the businessman suddenly slumped while prayers were ongoing and was subsequently rushed to the medical facility by prisons officials and the visiting imams, where he was later pronounced death.
“Although results of the autopsy on the corpse was still being awaited, Yerima is suspected to have died of natural causes as preliminary examinations showed that he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, which led to his slumping during the prayers.
The spokesman of the Nigeria Prison Service, Enobore Francis, was quoted by WorldStage Newsonline as saying that Suleiman collapsed during a prayer season being supervised by an Imam who came from outside the Prison.
He said about 300 inmates were present during the prayer and efforts to revive Suleiman failed as he died on the way to the hospital.
He said cardiac arrest was suspected, but further test would be conducted if requested by interested parties.
On whether there were signs that he was tortured before being transferred to the Prison, Francis said he was not aware of any record of such.
Suleiman along with Mr. Uwem Essien Antia were arraigned before Justice Lawal Akapo on June 24, 2015 on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
But Justice Akapo adjourned the matter to November 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18, 2015 and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Kirikiri maximum prison.
The late Suleiman had in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari before he was arraigned in the court, narrated how he and his partner were detained and tortured for 80 days by operatives of the EFCC while incarcerated by them.
In the petition, he detailed the inhuman treatment he got in the hands of the EFCC operatives and how he and his friend, Mr. Uwem Antia were battered in a torture cell operated by the EFCC in Lagos in collaboration with the police. He said he survived the ordeal only by the grace of God.
He claimed that he sustained serious injuries along with his friend, Antia, during the series of torture they received while in the custody of EFCC operatives.
He said: “I honoured the invitation by going to EFCC with Mr. Antia in company with my lawyers. On arrival, I was shown the petition. In the petition, the petitioner alleged that he gave me N120 million to source for dollars for him and that I have not given him the dollars.”
He said he told the operatives that he had made the payments and had documented evidence to prove it. He said despite his attempt to explain and show evidence of transactions, he was detained along with Mr. Antia.
“While in detention, we were denied bail by Iliyasu Kwarbai, the Director of Operations of EFCC in Lagos. EFCC hurriedly rushed to a magistrate court in Lagos on March 12 and obtained a detention warrant for 30 days. This was nine days after our initial detention without any charges filed against us. Later, Mr. Antia was handcuffed and taken to their torture chambers. Antia later told me they blindfolded him and hung him from 11pm till the early hours of the morning.
“My life is in danger and these people are out to kill me. I want the whole world to know that. The president should set up a panel of enquiry and if I am found guilty, I am ready to go to jail. But this injustice must stop. EFCC officials are busy making money for themselves. They are more corrupt than the corrupt politicians. They are rotten. They give you bail conditions you cannot meet and then ask you to negotiate,” he alleged.
While arraigning the duo before the court last month, EFCC said they were arrested in March, 2015 by its operatives for allegedly stealing $2,250,000 from two bankers- Aginwa Gladys and Ale Dennis.
The suspects were said to have allegedly approached Aginwa and Dennis in February, 2015, offering to sell foreign exchange to the tune of $10,000,000 to them. After agreeing on the exchange rate, a sum of N672, 750, 000 was transferred from BlueBeam Capital Investment Limited and Capital Field Investment and Trust Limited into the account of one of the bankers: Smiles and Light Limited. It was from the banker’s account that the entire sum was moved into Antia’s account: Kafisto Oil and Gas Limited.
EFCC said its findings showed that the entire sum of N672, 750,000 actually hit Antia’s account. A Bureau de Change operator who changed the money into its dollar equivalent, told EFCC’s investigators that he went with Antia to his bank, along Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where the transaction was confirmed.
The Bureau de Change operator was said to have further revealed that, Antia subsequently transferred the sum of N666, 250,000 into his own account. He said he worked out the dollar equivalent of the money, which was $3,127,000. He said he could only give $3,124,000 to Antia, leaving a balance of $3,000, which he promised to give him the next day.
Immediately Antia was said to have collected the foreign exchange, and reportedly headed for Number 17A, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where the two bankers and his accomplice, Suleiman were waiting for him. However, rather than handing over the entire foreign exchange to the bankers, he only gave them $1,000,000, claiming that he could not source the entire amount.
He allegedly promised to give them a balance of $2,250,000 the next day. This balance would be the dollar equivalent of the entire sum of the transaction. The bankers said that, since the day Antia and Suleman gave them the initial $1,000,000, all efforts to reach them had proved abortive.
“Their cell phones were turned off”, they said. However, they lodged a complaint with the EFCC and operatives of the Commission eventually arrested the two fraudsters.
The duo, upon their arrest, claimed that they had given one of the bankers, Dennis the balance of the money at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, but investigations by the Commission, showed that no such transaction took place.
Count one of the charge read: “Alhaji Yerima Suleiman and Mr. Uwen Essien Antia on or about the 5th day of February, 2015 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain money by false pretence from Dennis Ale and Aginwa Gladys.
Another count read: “Alhaji Yerima Suleiman and Mr. Uwen Essien Anita on or about the 6th day of February, 2015 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, with intent to defraud and in order to facilitate your obtaining money by false pretence from Dennis Ale and Aginwa Gladys, forged acknowledgement of receipt dated 6th February, 2015 purported to have been made by Dennis Ale.”
When the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, Gbolahan Latona prayed for a trial date and the remand of the accused person in prison custody. He told the court that the 1st accused person was also a defendant in another fraud charge before another court.
However, 1st and 2nd defence counsel, Ali Adams and Kabril Akingbolu said they have filed applications for bail and prayed the court for a short adjournment for argument on their bail applications.
But Justice Akapo adjourned the matter to November 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18, 2015 and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Kirikiri maximum prison.
