Dismissed NIMET employee uses agency name to dupe 121 job applicants of over N5m

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a former employee of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Hamza Abdullai Gambo, for allegedly using the name of the agency to dupe about 121 prospective job applicants of over N5 million.

Gambo an indigene Karofim-Madaki Local Government Area of Bauchi State was arrested by the operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by DCP Olatunji Disu after issuing fake employment letters to the unsuspecting job applicants.

The IRT team apprehended the suspect in the Bauchi metropolis after one Beatrice Itodo reported that the suspect swindled her a total of N2,366,000 through fake employment letters from the government agency issued to many of her relatives.

The suspect who was a former employee of NIMET confessed to having issued the fake employment letters and that he was paid for issuing the letters.

He stated that he was a senior school certificate holder who was employed by the NIMET in 2003. He also said he was dismissed, reinstated and later dismissed again.

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Gambo also confessed that he issued fake employment letters to a total of 121 job seekers through fake letters of appointment designed with the agency’s logo and staff signature before his arrest.

He also admitted through a confessional statement to the police to have collected NN5,173,000 from the job seekers through his bank account.

Gambo also revealed that Itodo had paid N2,366,000 to him for fifteen job seekers initially and the fake employment letters with NIMET letterhead were issued to them through electronic mail addresses.

The suspect confessed “I cannot remember how much I collected based on individuals but the total amount is two million, three hundred and sixty-six thousand naira. I received the money via my account number,” the suspect stated.

He, however, stated that he used the proceeds to build a house with the intention of reselling it to refund the victims’ money when the need arises.

The suspect forged the agency’s letter with a signature of an unidentified person, Rabi Muhammed as the Director of Admin of NIMET dated March 1, 2021.

Police detectives are still conducting discreet investigations into the criminal activities of the suspect to apprehend those behind the design and printing of the fake employment letters.