Diplomat shot dead in Prague

BBC ^ | February 19, 2003

[Indy Pendance]

Czech police have launched a major investigation after a senior diplomat was shot dead at the Nigerian embassy in the capital, Prague.

The dead man has been named as 50-year-old Michael Lekara Wayid, Nigeria's consul in the Czech Republic.

Polcie say they have arrested a 72-year-old Czech man.

According to unconfirmed reports, the man is suspected of opening fire because he was the victim of a financial swindle by a Nigerian group.

He is said to have been persuaded to give his bank details to someone posing as a senior Nigerian official.

In recent years, Nigerian-based organisations have been suspected of operating fraudulent schemes in several countries, promising large returns on financial transactions.

Bodyguards

Police spokeswoman Daniela Razimova said the suspect arrived at the embassy to discuss an unspecified business matter at 1030 (0930 GMT) and that shots were heard some time afterwards.

The embassy's 37-year-old receptionist in a next-door office went to investigate and was shot in the hand.

It was he who called embassy bodyguards, who detained the suspected attacker until police arrived.

The clerk is being treated in the Central Military Hospital, as is the suspected attacker, who reportedly collapsed at the scene of the shooting.

Police have been granted permission to enter the embassy, in the diplomatic quarter near the city centre, to investigate.

[dennisw]

I was thinking it was a swindle!

[LPStar]

Believe it or not, a few people actually do respond to those Nigerian email scam letters (and get swindled). But the scams are also carried out through other venues besides email.

[Dog Gone]

Nigeria hasn't tried to crack down on this on-going swindle at all, as far as I can tell.

Maybe this will be a wakeup call to them.

[dennisw]

Nigeria hasn't tried to crack down on this on-going swindle at all, as far as I can tell.

That 3rd world hole couldn't crack down if it wanted to

[RS]

My guess is that the Czech man had contacted this Nigerian official for help and was told to blow off.

[RossA]

I agree this is "rough justice" on Nigerians for allowing these scams - it's probably their 2nd leading source of $ - after their oil.

I got one of these letters myself. In ink (circa 1995), a few words actually spelled correctly. They schemes smell of illegality - but to a Czech used to Communism, who knows?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

That was my thought - having given his entire savings up on the old "I need somebody to hold $27,000,000.00" swindle, maybe the old man wigged out.

[Dog Gone]

Yes, but they haven't even seemed to want to.

The government of Nigeria takes in enormous amounts of money from oil revenue, before all the politicians steal it.

They could easily afford to take out newspaper ads warning the gullible, even if they had no intention of prosecuting the criminals. As far as I'm concerned, they're complicit.

[Redcloak]

A 72-year old Czech would very likely fall for such a scam. And he'd also be very likely to take it out on the first Nigerian he came across.

[Gorzaloon]

According to unconfirmed reports, the man is suspected of opening fire because he was the victim of a financial swindle by a Nigerian group. He is said to have been persuaded to give his bank details to someone posing as a senior Nigerian official.

Hooray for a good start...I get those spams every day.

However, it is embarrassing to be part of the same species that would have people stupid enough to fall for the 419 scam, and I can only feel so much sympathy for the victims.

Wasn't there a county official recently who embezzled and lost a fortune to this scam?

[opinionator]

Sounds like 'Self-Defense' to me.

[kezekiel]

I received this scam by fax back in '93 or so. I hadn't heard of it, so I sent it to the Commerce Department. I'm sure they looked right into it.