Joshua Chibi Dariye, former Plateau State Governor and ex-senator, was scammed out of $290,000 (N250 million) after purchasing a counterfeit Polo wristwatch. In a petition dated November 19, 2024, to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, Abuja, Dariye accused Emmanuel Odogwu and Franklin Gideon (alias Kelvin, later identified as Franklyn Ojo Jatto) of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and fraud.
Dariye, who governed Plateau from 1999 to 2007 and was convicted of corruption in 2018, said the duo posed as Polo company representatives in April 2024, convincing him to buy the watch. After paying, he received a fake timepiece, which he confirmed as counterfeit through the official Polo company, also learning the men were not affiliated with the brand.
Despite efforts to locate the suspects, Dariye reported they were high-profile fraudsters. Investigations revealed Jatto converted the $290,000 into N250 million via a Bureau de Change, depositing it into a Keystone Bank account under his company, Franklyn’s Construction Nig. Ltd. On April 23, 2024, Jatto allegedly used N145m to buy a property in Sahara III Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja. He operated over 16 bank accounts linked to a single BVN, with N100m transferred to a Mutual Trust Bank fixed deposit account on May 8, 2025, set to mature in May 2026.
Police obtained a court order to freeze the accounts and are seeking interim forfeiture of the assets and funds. A police affidavit warned that without court intervention, Jatto might dispose of the property and funds. Dariye urged swift police action to arrest the suspects, who remain at large, and recover his money.
This incident follows Dariye’s 2018 conviction for diverting N1.16 billion in ecological funds, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Released in 2022 under a presidential pardon, his case remains a notable corruption scandal in Nigeria.
