This came at 4 am....have fun (sez a kindly contributor).

Office of the financial controller.
Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, ( N.N.P.C.).
Falomo office complex, Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel/fax: 234-1-2666488.

Please strictly confidential
Request for urgent business transaction.
Attn:Carl,

I am DR. FRED IKEM. The financial controller of the Nigeria national petroleum corporation (nnpc) headquarters Lagos. I am writing on behalf of my colleagues in (NNPC) and have been assign to seek the assistance of a reliable foreign company through which we can transfer the sum of thirty milliom U.S dollars only (US$30,000,000). This money is deposited in the NNPC treasury account with the central bank of Nigeria.

ORIGIN OF THE FUND:
This sum arose from the deliberated over-invoicing of a contract awarded by my ministry (NNPC) to foreign firm in the twilight days of the last military regime. This contract has been completely executed and commissioned and the contractor that handled this contract has collected his full and final payment thus leaving behind the above stated amount which represent the over invoiced sum.

we have been safeguarding this money for conducive time for it's transfer out of the country for our personal use. However, the code of employment does not allow us (civil servant) to own and operate foreign account and because the contract was handled by a foreign firm and the payment made in dollars, we now need a foreign partner that will present himself as the sub-contractor so that the fund will be transferred into your company's or personal account.

Your address was made available to us by a very good friend who works with the Nigeria export promotion council and he assured us of your company's viability and capability in business transaction. This assurance gave us the courage to link you up in this particular transaction and I hope it will be of mutual benefit to all of us. Note that the nature of your business is not particularly relevant to the success of the transaction. All we require is your willingness to present yourself as the subcontractor by providing your bank informa-tion so that the fund will be transferred into your account.

SHARING RATIO:
For your assistance in this business, your share will be 30% of the total fund. I and my colleagues will take 60% while we set aside 10% for any expenses that may be incurred in the course of this transaction. If you are willing to assist us in this business, send the following information.

1. NAME OF YOUR BANK AND ADDRESS.
2. YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER / BENEFICIARY'S NAME.
3. YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS FOR EASY COMMUNICATION.

This information will enable us put an application for payment approval to the concerned ministries and final to the central bank of Nigeria (C.B.N) and it is going to last for 6-7 working days starting from the day we receive the above information. All modalities for the take -off of this transaction have been worked out and further action will commence immediately we hear from you. I am waiting for your reply only on this my private tel/fax number :234-1-2666488 or my e-mail address: fredikem_2000@yahoo.co.uk for security reasons.
[ As opposed to what, telepathy?]

Yours faithfully,
DR. FRED IKEM.

Now playing in re-runs, the entire sordid saga: