Nigerian Pilot learnt that the arrest of Mr Friday Onuoha Agara yesterday was a result of his alleged 5 million Naira fraud in connection with the landed property transaction for more than five years now.
It was also gathered that the said Friday Onuoha Agara, who is a native of Nwezenyi village in Igbeagu community in Izzi Local Government Area of the State was still in police detention at the time of filing this report for having allegedly embarked on financial extortions through sales of lands and other shady monetary transactions.
Briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, the founder of the Succour City Foundation, Dr Sunday Andrew Opoke, who is one of the persons allegedly defrauded by Mr Friday Onuoha Agara described the suspect as a chronic financial scammer.
Opoke accused Mr Friday Onuoha Agara of duping him in the name of the land seller, noting that they entered into an agreement for him (Opoke) to pay 5 million Naira for the 20 plots of his (Agara's) land but after completing the payment he (Agara) stopped making himself (Agara) available for the signing of documents for a full five years.
Opoke said: "Agara Friday Onuoha is a scammer. He scams people. He will tell you he has landed property here and there because he is in an exalted position in the government. He was the HPM at Ukaba Development Centre and now the HPM of Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
"It's because of his position, people trust him without knowing that he uses the position to scam people. When he tells you that he has land, he will go and show you land belonging to another person.
"If you pay him money on trust but when it's time for him to sign documents relating to the land, he refuses to do so. He will hold your money and begins threatening you. He has done it to so many people. He came to me and told me that his children were removed from school because he has no money to pay for their school fees. And he wouldn't want his children to be out of school.
"That he has land to sell and took me to see it. He said it's 20 plots. I told him that you are my brother, but we can't measure the land now since you said, it's 20 plots, let me believe it's 20 plots. I advanced him 2.5 million Naira cash. Later he collected all the money and signed in our agreement he has collected the money for the 20 plots of land completely.
"After collecting all the money, I told him that he needs to sign a power of attorney and measure the land to make sure the land is complete, but he stopped picking up my calls. He started avoiding me. I took a surveyor to measure the land but the land he told me was 20 plots is just 13.5 plots.
"So, after many times, I have to talk to his family members who called him and directed him to give me the land. But for the past 5 years, he has been on the run. He never allowed me to have access to him. He told me that he bought the land from another person but when I demanded the documents, he never made it available to me.
"It's not only me, he tried to defraud me. Those people came to me in the process of trying to report to one or two people about the man's antics. The question is that people like him have property here and there, but my concern is that if he can scam me knowing full well, that if it's taking the matter to court I will be able to have the financial capacity to pursue the case, what about the poor, you cannot hear their voices.
"That's why as of yesterday his brothers were calling me to go and measure the land, to give me the document but I told them that the matter is already in the police.
"So, I told them I have measured the land and if they want to sign the document, the police will be involved. My mind is that such a person should not move on the streets. It's not about the land again, let him go to prison, because if he goes to prison, others will learn their lessons. If not, let him refund me the money at the current rate and I will tell him the interest for five years.
"He can equally sign the documents and measure the land but I fear that it is dangerous to allow him to move on the roads. As a public servant who knows what other poorer people go through him is like case one man, a faculty officer in a reputable university, who was once a Vice Chairman of a Local Government Area, collected one hundred thousand Naira from a local woman from their meeting and refuses to refund the money.
"The woman went to him severally for a refund but the man and his wife pushed the woman away. The meeting people told the woman that she must give them the money. Everybody was accusing the woman of sleeping with the woman. The man didn't pay money but was threatening the woman. Sadly, the woman later died out of traumatization. Do such people are supposed to be walking freely on the roads?"
Opoke expressed the readiness of his foundation - the Succour City Foundation to intervene and secure justice for the poor, less privileged and vulnerable ones, who have been facing different intimidation, especially in case of related incidents narrated above in the society.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ebonyi State Command, Onome Onovwakpoyeya said the information concerning the arrest of Mr Friday Onuoha Agara was yet to reach her office.
She assured our correspondent of confirming the incident when properly reached by the police department handling the matter.
On a phone call, the accused, Mr Friday Onuoha Agara told our Correspondent to avoid any statements coming from Dr Sunday Opoke linking him to criminal activity.
In a further attempt to hear his side of the story, Friday Onuoha Agara said, he would not entertain any questions or phone calls from our reporter and switched off his phone.
