The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday said it arrested two self-acclaimed spiritualists, Alfa Abiodun Ibrahim and Wale Adifala, over a fraud of N24m.

The suspects were alleged to have conspired to defraud an aspiring House of Representatives member in Ekiti State, of the money, which they claimed was to be used to secure spiritual help for his political ambition.

According to a statement on the EFCC’s website, the men were arrested on July 7, 2022, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, following a petition against them alleging that after collecting the said sum, the victim lost his political bid.

During interrogation by the agency’s operatives, Adifala reportedly admitted to collecting the money from their victim, including N2.9m, which he claimed was used to buy black, brown and white cows, rams, lavender perfume, rings, among other items, to carry out sacrifices at different times.

He was quoted as saying, “I also linked up on the matter with Ifawole Ajibola (at large), and we continued with the sacrifices together, until we were arrested by the EFCC,”

Ibrahim was also quoted as saying, “Our own was just to pray and do the necessary sacrifices, which we did, and to leave the rest to God. However, along the line, the zoning for the reps seat was taken away from Oye-Ekiti to Ikole-Ekiti.”

In a related development, operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC have arrested 34 suspected Internet fraudsters.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on Tuesday, said 21 of the suspects were arrested on Monday, July 25, 2022, in a sting operation at Apete and Ijokodo areas of Ibadan, Oyo State.

Among the items recovered from the suspects were exotic cars, laptops, different brands of mobile phones and several fraudulent documents. (The PUNCH)