Former Plateau State Governor and ex-senator, Joshua Chibi Dariye, has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force after allegedly falling victim to a $290,000 (₦250 million) luxury wristwatch scam.

Dariye, who served as governor from 1999 to 2007 and was later convicted for corruption, accused two men, Emmanuel Odogwu and Franklin Gideon (alias Kelvin), of selling him a counterfeit Polo wristwatch while posing as staff members of the luxury brand.

Naijaonpoint reports that in a formal complaint dated November 19, 2024, and addressed to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, Dariye alleged criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and obtaining money under false pretence.

“I humbly wish to complain against one Emmanuel Odogwa and one Franklin Gideon (aka Kelvin) for Criminal Conspiracy, Breach of Trust, Obtaining Money by False Pretences and Fraud,” Dariye wrote.

The ex-senator explained that in April 2024, the duo approached him, claiming to be representatives of the Polo wristwatch company and convinced him to buy a luxury timepiece for $290,000.

“I paid them the money and they promised to supply same. They did supply the Polo wrist but I discovered it was fake,” he stated.

After verification from the official Polo company, Dariye confirmed the watch was counterfeit and that the men were not affiliated with the brand.

Suspects Unmasked

Dariye said his attempts to trace the suspects failed, noting in a follow-up police statement dated November 22, 2024, that the men were high-profile fraudsters.

Investigators later uncovered that one of the suspects’ real identities was Franklyn Ojo Jatto, not Gideon as initially claimed.

According to an affidavit sworn by police prosecutor Gregory Woje on February 14, 2025, Jatto converted the $290,000 into ₦250 million through a Bureau de Change and moved the funds into a Keystone Bank account owned by his company, Franklyn’s Construction Nig. Ltd.

Further investigations revealed that on April 23, 2024, Jatto used ₦145m from the proceeds to purchase a property at Sahara III Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja.

The police also discovered that Jatto operated over 16 bank accounts in Nigeria and abroad, all linked to a single Biometric Verification Number (BVN).

A court order was subsequently obtained to freeze the accounts.

On May 8, 2025, Jatto allegedly transferred ₦100m into a fixed deposit account with Mutual Trust Bank, set to mature in May 2026.

“Unless this Honourable Court grants this application, the Respondent may dispose of the property and spend the proceeds of crime in the bank,” the police affidavit warned.

In his petition, Dariye urged the police to pursue justice with urgency.

“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,” he pleaded.

Police investigators say they are now seeking interim forfeiture of the assets and funds linked to the suspects, pending the conclusion of the case.

Naijaonpoint reports that the case comes years after Dariye himself was convicted for corruption.

The former Governor was sentenced in 2018 to 10 years’ imprisonment for criminal breach of trust, following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld his conviction for diverting ₦1.16 billion in ecological funds while governor.

Though released from prison in 2022 under a presidential pardon, the conviction remains one of Nigeria’s high-profile corruption cases.