How Folorunsho Alakija’S Rose of Sharon Foundation Was Defraued-EFCC

An Ikeja high court was on Monday told of how Mrs.Folorunsho Alakija and her Rose of Sharon Foundation Was defrauded of N3million.

The witness, a staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ganiu Ajisafe, explained to the Court how the first accuse, Vincent Ayewah connived with his siblings and friends to defraud a foundation, Rose of Sharon Foundation, owned by a business tycoon, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, of N3m.

Ajisafe, while being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. M.D. Aliu, told the court that Ayewah, a staff of the foundation who reports directly to the project officer planned with his two siblings and friends to forge the identity card of the beneficiaries of the foundation, so as to convert the said sum to themselves.

He further stated that in the course of their investigation, letters of investigating activities were written to Fidelity and Stanbic IBTC bank.

He added that Ayewah’s house was searched and one Mr. George, who was the maker of the forged I.D card and the fake I.D cards was arrested and the system used were recovered.

“Vincent connived with his siblings, who were also beneficiaries at the foundation and friends to forge the I.D. card of the foundation with different names to defraud the organization,” Ajisafe said.

Ayewah was arraigned alongside his two siblings, Florence Ayewah, Emmanuel Ayewah and his friends, Onuwa David, Okoronkwo Chikadibia, Ehizibolo George, Chinyere Awanah, on a 28 count bordering on conspiracy, stealing, forgery and impersonation.

According to the petition written to the EFCC by Mrs. Alakija, Rose of Sharon Foundation, foundation received complaints from some of the beneficiaries of the foundation’s scholarship awards regarding their unpaid school fees.

She added that she instructed the project officer to investigate the complaints and it revealed that Ayewah had been fraudulently misappropriating the funds meant for widows and orphans.

According to her, Ayewah confessed to the crime and promised not to do so again but he continued stealing and graduated to forging the cheques of the foundation’s Stanbic IBTC Bank account.

However, the presiding Judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, adjourned till June 1, 2017, for continuation of trial.

Mrs.Folorunsho Alakija   is ranked by Forbes as the richest woman in Nigeria and Rose of Sharon Foundation was her charity organization set up to help widows and orphans by empowering them through scholarships and business grants