TWO FAMILIES LOSE ?10 MILLION ?In fake treasure-hunt

The desire of two families to get rich quick was shattered when the man who took them on the treasure-hunt defrauded them. The two families lost not only quantities of gold they gave to a Mallam to help them extract the treasures hidden in the ground by their ancestors, but also lost money worth more than ?10 million given out for the performance of certain purification rites.

The victims have now sought police assistance to punish Mallam Seidu Mohammed, who allegedly defrauded them. Mallam Seidu is in police custody pending further investigations. Narrating the incident to The Mirror, a police spokesman said one Kwasi Bawuah of Asiwa, near Bomfa in the Ashanti Region, sought the assistance of Mallam Seidu to extract gold alleged to have been hidden underground on a farm.

Mallam Seidu allegedly collected ?97,000 from Bawuah to procure some items to perform certain rites to facilitate the excavation for the gold.

Mallam Seidu and Bawuah, accompanied by his relatives, went to the farm and after looking through his mystic mirror, Mallam Seidu marked a spot which he made them dig.

After some time, Mallam Seidu removed 67 pieces of yellowish metals which he claimed were the treasure. The police said Mallam Seidu then asked for ?2.6 million to procure some items from Cote d?Ivoire for purification rites. He, in addition, collected an amount of ?180,000, a sheep, a fowl, Nido powdered milk, hacks and biscuits.

Later, Mallam Seidu is alleged to have collected a half piece of cloth and ?197,000, which he buried in the hole from which the so-called treasure was removed. After washing the golden metals, Mallam Seidu divided them into five parts, took one part, gave one part to Bawuah and the remaining three parts to Bawuah?s family.

Mallam Seidu allegedly later gave out his share to Bawuah for safe-keeping, and further ordered that the container in which the gold was being kept should be opened after 37 days. When the time was due and the container was opened, it was found that the metal purported to be gold was bronze.

Mallam Seidu was confronted and he allegedly claimed that the gold changed because Bawuah violated his instructions. Mallam Seidu was said to have played the same trick on Kwasi Asante of Dunkwa in the Central Region and succeeded in collecting about ?7 million from him.

While Mallam Seidu was in custody, many people continued to lodge complaints with the police with similar allegations.