Fake Luxury Watch Worth ₦250M Sold To Former Plateau Governor By Scammers

According to Ireporter Online, former Plateau State Governor and ex-senator, Joshua Chibi Dariye, has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force after allegedly falling victim to a $290,000 (₦250 million) luxury wristwatch scam.

Dariye, who governed Plateau State between 1999 and 2007 before later being convicted for corruption, accused two men identified as Emmanuel Odogwu and Franklin Gideon, also known as Kelvin, of selling him a counterfeit Polo wristwatch while posing as representatives of the luxury brand.

In a formal petition dated November 19, 2024, and addressed to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, Abuja, Dariye alleged criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and obtaining money under false pretence. He explained that in April 2024, the suspects convinced him to pay $290,000 for a wristwatch they claimed was an exclusive Polo timepiece. After delivery, he discovered the watch was fake and, upon verification, confirmed that the duo had no ties with the Polo company.

Further investigations unmasked one of the suspects as Franklyn Ojo Jatto, not Gideon as earlier claimed. Court documents revealed that Jatto converted the funds into ₦250 million through a Bureau de Change, which was then deposited into a Keystone Bank account operated under his company, Franklyn’s Construction Nig. Ltd. Investigators also discovered that he spent ₦145 million of the proceeds on a property at Sahara III Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja, while transferring ₦100 million into a fixed deposit account with Mutual Trust Bank, due to mature in May 2026.

Police affidavits disclosed that Jatto maintained over 16 bank accounts, both local and foreign, all tied to one Biometric Verification Number (BVN). Authorities have since secured a court order freezing the accounts and are pursuing interim forfeiture of assets linked to the fraud.

In his petition, Dariye appealed for swift action, urging the police to arrest the suspects, recover the stolen funds, and ensure justice is served.

The case has drawn attention, given that Dariye himself was convicted in 2018 for diverting ₦1.16 billion in ecological funds while in office. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment before being released in 2022 under a presidential pardon, a conviction that remains one of Nigeria’s most prominent corruption cases.