‘I’m Not A Fraudster, I Worked With Mrs Buhari’s Associates To Buy Govt Properties,’ Says Fake First Lady

Amina Mohammed, an alleged impersonator of Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has denied being a fraudster but a business partner to top associates of the First Lady with whom they do government deals together.

Among those Mohammed named in a video in circulation on social media as the close associates of President Buhari were the disgraced former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babchir Lawal, and one Moriyatu, who is said to be a sister to the First Lady.

She had been arrested and paraded by the Department of State Services (DSS) on the grounds that she had been impersonating Mrs Buhari and the wife of the governor of Kogi State, Rashida Bello.

According to the DSS, the suspect allegedly defrauded one Alexander Chika Okafor (a.k.a Chicason) of N150 million under the pretext to help him acquire a court of appeal property in Lagos State.

“The woman who is being paraded has adopted various aliases and used the same false identities to defraud several unsuspecting persons before she was discovered,” DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya had said in a statement.

“She used the false identity to evade protocol and scrutiny thus gaining unauthorized access into the villa and particularly the residence of the first lady and wife of the president, Hajia Aisha Buhari.

“She took advantage of the fact that personalities as first ladies, ministers and certain categories of officials are not taken through rigorous protocol and security checks at the villa posts.

“Investigation has revealed that the first lady was away on Lesser Hajj and not in the villa during the period.

“Okafor had complained that he was fleeced of over N150 million in respect of a court of appeal property in Lagos which Amina had promised to help him buy through the first lady.

“The property was said to have been part of those under the presidential implementation committee on lease of federal government.

“Investigation has shown that this unholy enterprise is not to the knowledge of the first lady. What Amina simply did was to use the first lady’s name and office as bait to lure and defraud her victims.”

But during her interrogation by the DSS, Mohammed denied being a fraudster, insisting that she does government property deals with Mr Babachir, Ms Moriyatu and other unnamed top government officials.

“I cannot be a fraudster, it is not true. No, I cannot accept,” she was heard saying in a video obtained by Sahara Reporters, adding that, “Former SGF, Babachir is involved, Moriyatu is involved. And this is not fraud. Chicason has been buying federal government property and he has been doing it and you all know the directors in the ministry involved will collect bribe before bidding will be out.”