The Cyprus case

The operation was a success

The mark was a 55 year old widow

Her husband was a shipping magnate

6 months after her husband's death they sent her documents indicating that her husband had some money in Cyprus which she had to claim

She went to her lawyer

He verified the documents

The conversation intensified

It took months

They eventually got the document for the release of funds

They sent her the photocopies

She rejoiced

They sent her their bill which was 20% of the settlement

They wanted their payment upfront

She sold three houses, acres of land

She raised the money

She contacted her lawyer

Moving millions of dollars is normal in the shipping business

Nobody raised an eyebrow

As soon as the transfer was done, she called them

They cut off the call

She called back several times, the number was 'busy'

Something was wrong!

Her lawyer was equally caught unawares

He called the bank to stop the transfer but the money had been moved

She had been duped!

She fired the lawyer, he had worked with her husband for years but how could he have verified the transaction as authentic?

Made her vulnerable!

She licked her wounds in pain

Her husband left her just enough to cater for her children the way he had always desired and she had squandered their inheritance like a prodigal wife

There was nothing to do but cut her coat according to her size. The children had to manage

Four years later, she was invited to a wedding ceremony.

A shipping magnate was marrying off his daughter and the shipping community was invited.

She flew to Dubai for the ceremony. The man had been extremely supportive since her calamity.

Jumeirah was the venue

On the wedding day she woke up quite late

The wedding had started

She found a seat at the back of the ballroom

Some young men came in later, they were obviously the groom's friends

They talked about his exploits as a big boy

She barely listened until they mentioned the Cyprus job

How he was a genius

How he came about his wealth

How he got the details of a widow's late husband's businesses from his Father-In-law's office and came up with a brilliant idea

How they got the necessary documents

How they got her lawyer to cooperate

Other jobs and victims too!

Their words kept hammering in her head as she returned home

That was the guy who swindled her

Her lawyer knew about it

But she had no evidence, no proof!

How would she not take even a stab at justice? How would she take this lying low?

Yet, there was nothing else to do but cry

She cried for three days

Her children panicked

They called her younger brother

Her younger brother listened to her

He was a member of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad

He promised her he would do something about it

She didn't believe him but she felt better

She stopped crying

One month later

As the newly married couple returned to Nigeria from their honeymoon

They came across a police roadblock

'Sir, Kindly open your boot' asked the police officer

He did.

He alighted and walked with the police officer to the boot of the car

They found a GUN! A GUN!

They were bundled to the police station

They didn't own a gun

What was happening?

They interrogated him

But their question was not about the gun

They claimed the lawyer had cooperated, fingered him for swindling the widow

His case was transferred to EFCC

His Father-in-law arrived

The state lawyer reasoned with him

He reasoned with his daughter

The son-in-law agreed to return the widow's money, he also turned state witness against the lawyer

The widow got her money back

The lawyer was sentenced to five years imprisonment

The marriage failed few weeks later