Former Plateau State Governor and ex-senator, Joshua Chibi Dariye, has fallen victim to a luxury goods scam, losing $290,000 (about ₦250 million) to fraudsters who sold him a counterfeit Polo wristwatch.

Dariye, who governed Plateau State from 1999 to 2007 and later served in the Senate, filed a petition to the Nigeria Police Force accusing two men — Emmanuel Odogwu and Franklin Gideon (alias Kelvin) — of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and obtaining money under false pretence.

In his formal complaint dated November 19, 2024, Dariye recounted how the duo approached him in April 2024, posing as representatives of the Polo luxury brand. They convinced him to purchase a high-end watch for $290,000, which was later discovered to be fake.

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

After verification from the official Polo company confirmed the fraud, Dariye tried unsuccessfully to trace the suspects. In a follow-up statement on November 22, 2024, he described them as high-profile con artists.

Investigators Unmask “Gideon” as Jatto

Police investigations later revealed that “Franklin Gideon” was actually Franklyn Ojo Jatto, a businessman with extensive financial dealings.

According to an affidavit by police prosecutor Gregory Woje, Jatto converted the $290,000 into naira through a Bureau de Change and deposited the funds into his company’s Keystone Bank account.

On April 23, 2024, investigators found that Jatto used ₦145m from the proceeds to purchase a property at Sahara III Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja.

Further digging uncovered that Jatto maintained over 16 bank accounts in Nigeria and abroad — all linked to a single Biometric Verification Number (BVN).

The police secured a court order to freeze the accounts, but discovered that on May 8, 2025, Jatto had already moved ₦100m into a fixed deposit account with Mutual Trust Bank, set to mature in May 2026.

The affidavit warned:

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

Dariye’s Plea for Justice

In his petition, Dariye urged the police to expedite action:

“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.”

Police are now seeking interim forfeiture of assets and funds linked to Jatto pending trial.