Alleged N97m fraud biz woman replies friend

An Enugu-based business woman, Mrs Obiageli Anachebe has described the allegation by her friend, Vivian (surname withheld) who alleged that she is a fraudster as a ploy to tarnish her image and deceive the public. Obiageli said initially she didn’t want to dance naked in the public by joining issues with Vivian but has to change her mind after assessing the extent her friend had gone in spreading “her fake story to the world.”
Saturday Sun had some months ago published the story of a Lagos-based business woman who claimed she lost N97 million while in search of Enugu based catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka’s blessings. Obiageli’s accuser had said in that report that her belief was that if she met Fr. Mbaka, her life and business would improve. She said she was excited when her friend of 10 years, Obiageli introduced her to one Dr. Ohamadike, founder of Esoteric World Discovery Limited.
Vivian, in that report, alleged that both Obiageli and Dr. Ohamadike connived to dupe her of N97 million and a house. She said she reported the matter to EFCC which recovered her house and still investigating the alleged N97 million fraud.
Not ready to allow the allegations go without the public hearing her own side of the story, Obiageli said: “I decided to come forward and let discerning minds hear my side of the story and put one and one together. I want the world to know the truth.
“Vivian started by looking for a man of God to locate the missing boy of his manfriend whom she claimed came back from Canada. She called me while I was in London to ask if I knew any prayer warrior who will help to find the boy and I said yes that there is one who has been praying for me.
“She requested for his number and I gave her the number of Dr. Ohamadike. By the time I came back from the church the same day, because it was a Sunday, I saw that she called again from Nigeria. So, I returned her call. She was singing and dancing that the boy was found in a hotel with his girlfriend by DSS. I was even surprised to read where she claimed that the family of the boy paid so much ransom because she told me earnestly that the boy was found in a hotel.
“So, she was not saying the truth when she said she was looking for a man of God to pray for her business; we started from looking for the boy and that was how I introduced her to Ohamadike. And the same day when the boy was found, I called Ohamadike to suspend the prayers since the boy had been found so that he will not charge her. That’s what happened; how Father Mbaka came into it, is strange to me. She is only using that to make her story sound big and for people to believe her fake story.”
She insisted that Father Mbaka never came into the matter for any reason and there was no prior discussion about any man of God, adding: “It was the missing boy that prompted me to link her with Ohamadike.”
Obiageli, however, noted that when her friend later hooked up with her in London, she hinted her of further business dealings with Ohamadike. “When she came to London and met me, she was rejoicing that her son who was having stomach problem had been cured by Ohamadike. When I inquired, she said that she went to their website and saw other packages and subsequently contacted Ohamadike and that they even did other businesses together. She said this in passing and never gave details of the businesses they transacted. And they continued; she even left London before me and they continued. I never called Ohamadike and he too never called me; the call records are there to be cross-checked; I never knew they were doing business if not that she mentioned it in London.”
She recalled that Ohamadike was introduced to her in 2012 by a colleague in oil business who asked her to seek protection from a man of God at the height of the kidnap saga in the South-East, which she did.
“So, when my friend enquired why I was moving about without police, I told her that God is taking control; that a man of God prayed for me. That was all that linked me to Ohamadike and he can confirm that. That’s why I was surprised when she was telling me that Ohamadike cured her son, did this and that, I said I only knew him for prayers and protection. That was when she told me that she went to their website; it’s even in her petition to the police where she mentioned that Ohamadike convinced her to go to their website and see other packages they have which she did and then started business with him. It was between them, I wasn’t part of it at all; I wasn’t even aware of it and they never involved me. It was just that she mentioned it in passing in London. I never introduced Ohamadike as a link man to Father Mbaka to Vivian and did not witness when, as she alleged, Father Mbaka called Ohamadike and they discussed for over two hours.”
How I met Vivian
On how they met, Obiageli explained that it was through her church members who went to Vivian in Lagos to solicit for fund during a launching in the church. “When they came back, they told me they made a friend for me in Lagos that would come for the launching and on the day of the launching, she came. While I was serving, they connected her to me and said madam, that’s your friend and she said she had heard so much about me. From there, the same day she and her entourage followed me to my house and spent one week there. I never knew her from Adam.
“So, I didn’t know her very well; it was a casual thing and we were not living together but I have just discovered that she is a natural liar. I call her a liar because I read in the media that she said I lured her into my house; I never lured her into my house. That very day she claimed she came to my house at No 1 Ideoha Street Independence Layout, Enugu which was where I lured her to. But the truth is that we met in 2004 when I was living in Achara layout and she followed me and has been visiting me there. She made mention that she had a rented house at No 13A River Lane, Abakaliki Road, GRA. So, by the time I packed from my old house to the new one, her rent had expired and she mentioned to me that her landlord increased her rent that she wasn’t ready to pay. I didn’t know she was planning to pack into my house. One day I came back and saw some of her luggage outside the house and I made way for her to send in; up till this moment some of her belongings are still with me in that house. So, I never lured her. Again, how could she claim that I lured her when she even went to Lagos and brought her niece without my consent, left her in my house and she told me that she will start going to school in Enugu. This girl stayed with me for another five years here in Enugu where I was paying part of her school fees because she will never bring the school fees in time; and when she brings it, it won’t be complete. Her pocket money, her medicals, everything was on me. Her class teacher and house teacher will attest to these. So, would I have lured her and her niece too? She was only running from responsibilities and expenses.
“I wasn’t part of any of their transactions even the alleged N16 million collected from her friend, Pamela. I don’t know about that; I don’t live in Lagos. According to her, Pamela is in Lagos and does Forex business; I never knew and wasn’t aware of any such transaction. I was never part of it; Pamela will attest to that,” she further explained.
Why she wants to rope me into the matter
According to Obiageli, her friend became furious because she refused to testify against Ohamadike. “I wouldn’t tell you that I know her as a Christian; all the while she has been coming to my house. My church members will attest to the fact that I take her to church services and morning mass, I have never taken her to a shrine. I was surprised when she started making trouble with me…because all these started when I refused to go and stand as a witness for her concerning her case with Ohamadike. That’s where she fell out with me; because I was not in the country when they started and ended their business. But when I came back she told me everything that she wanted me to believe. But when I called Ohamadike he was telling a different story; so I didn’t know who to believe and since I wasn’t involved I refused to be a witness to any of them. As soon as I told her I wouldn’t be testifying in her favour since I didn’t witness the transactions and all the monies she claimed she gave to Ohamadike, she fell out with me.
Otherwise her first petition to the police my name wasn’t mentioned. It is also surprising that her claims differ from one petition to the other. In the first petition to Commissioner of Police Lagos, she claimed that Ohamadike duped her of N28m and her house. In her second petition when I refused to write statement as a witness she included my name and the money rose to N50m. now that she has gone to the media the money has risen to N97m and her house. Unless she is telling us that Ohamadike is still collecting money from her, otherwise the figure should be one; but it has continued to increase.
“Even the house she is saying she lost, the day she told me that she would give me documents to give to the buyer; I declined and advised her against selling the property. She left my house. I later discovered that she had already sold the building before trying to hand me over the papers. I am surprised she is still calling my name, laying false and malicious allegations and publications against my person. She knows that I was never involved in any business with Ohamadike.”
I was invited to eleven shrines
She also accused Vivian of summoning her before a shrine in Enugu. “I am surprised that emissaries from over 11 shrines have visited my house and unfortunately for her, one of them brought a letter. One came from Akebeugwu, with an oral invitation I never went. Another one came from Ogoja; they gave verbal invitation to my gateman; I never went. In fact, 11 of them; out of the 11 Ofufe Owoloti Iwolo, Omasi, Oghe Town in Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State wrote me formally to come to their shrine. I have the copy of that letter here. “They said I should come alone with a jar of palm wine, two tubers of yam, two kola nuts, small stout, malt and N1.2 million.
It is an irony that somebody who has told the whole world that she has been looking for Mbaka would still visit juju shrine to kill me. It is time for people to know who is saying the truth”
Threat to life
Obiageli is not just setting the record straight but also claimed that her life is under threat.
“I want the world to know that all that glitters is not gold. Vivian has so much surprised me that her empty lie and threats to my life have made me to open up for people to beware of such people. Again, since this letter from the shrine came, there has been so much threat to my life and those of my family members. We see strange people around the house and that made me to petition the Force Headquarters, Abuja which led to her arrest and detention. I am surprised she has turned around to claim that I am threatening her life. Let her show evidence of her report to the police over threat to her life.”