Former Plateau State Governor and convicted ex-senator, Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye, has petitioned the Nigeria Police after falling victim to a sophisticated fraud scheme involving counterfeit luxury wristwatches valued at $290,000 (₦250 million).
In a petition dated November 19, 2024, addressed to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, Dariye accused two men, identified as Emmanuel Odogwu and Franklin Gideon (alias Kelvin), of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and obtaining money under false pretences.
How the Deal Went Sour
Dariye narrated that in April 2024, the suspects, posing as staff of a luxury watch company, offered to sell him a Polo wristwatch worth $290,000. Trusting their representation, he made full payment and was later supplied the watch.
However, upon verification at the official Polo Company, Dariye was informed that the wristwatch was counterfeit and that the men were not affiliated with the company.
“I kindly request your esteemed office to track and arrest the suspects who are currently on the run and to also investigate this matter thoroughly and help recover the $290,000 they fraudulently collected from me,” Dariye pleaded in his petition.
In a follow-up statement dated November 22, 2024, he stressed that his attempts to contact the suspects had failed, later discovering they were “high-profile fraudsters.”
Police Investigation Uncovers Financial Trail
The case deepened when investigators discovered the real identity of one of the suspects as Franklyn Ojo Jatto.
According to an affidavit sworn on February 14, 2025 by Gregory Woje of the Force Headquarters Legal/Prosecution Section, Jatto converted the $290,000 into naira via a Bureau de Change, transferring ₦250 million into a Keystone Bank account belonging to his company, Franklyn’s Construction Nig. Ltd.
Further findings revealed that:
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On April 23, 2024, Jatto purchased a property worth ₦145 million at Sahara III Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja, using the proceeds.
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He operated over 16 bank accounts locally and internationally, all linked to a single BVN.
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On May 8, 2025, he transferred ₦100 million from Keystone Bank to Mutual Trust Bank, placing it in a fixed deposit maturing in May 2026.
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He impersonated a Polo staff member under the alias “Kelvin” to facilitate the fraud.
The police obtained a freezing order from the Chief Magistrate Court of the FCT to block the identified accounts and are now seeking an interim forfeiture of assets traced to the fraud.
Dariye’s Controversial Past
Dariye’s fresh encounter with fraudsters comes against the backdrop of his own controversial past.
He served as Plateau State governor between 1999 and 2007 before being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for embezzling ₦1.16 billion in ecological funds.
After a protracted legal battle, he was sentenced in 2018 to 10 years imprisonment for criminal breach of trust, a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court in March 2021.
Though later granted a state pardon in 2022, the latest development now places the embattled former governor back in public discourse—this time as a victim rather than a perpetrator of fraud.
What Happens Next
The police investigation into Jatto and his accomplices is ongoing. Authorities are pushing for forfeiture of assets allegedly acquired with Dariye’s funds, while efforts to apprehend the suspects continue.
For Dariye, who once stood trial for corruption, the case is a dramatic twist—falling prey to the very kind of financial deception that once defined his political downfall.
