The Sokoto Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three suspects for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting victims in the state.
Parading the suspects at the zonal office in Sokoto on Wednesday, the Zonal Commander, Bawa Usman Kaltungo, said the suspects specialized in defrauding unsuspecting applicants with nonexistent jobs opportunities in lucrative Federal government agencies like the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, and Nigeria Ports Authority.
Bawa revealed that the commission, having received a petition from one Aminu Bunko, a victim of employment scam against Ibrahim Shehu and Ibrahim Sifawa alleging that in December 2020 one Aminu Sifawa from Ministry of Youths and sports introduced him to one of the suspects as someone who can help him secure employment.
He said the suspects made the victim believe he had an offer for employment from the Nigerian Customs Service, after which the unsuspecting victim informs his friend, Bello Abubakar Wamakko of the same opportunity.
“In the course of an investigation, it was revealed that the suspects lured and convinced their victims to believe that once they made a payment of N350,000 each amounting to N700,000 for the two, the offer will be theirs.
” Investigation further revealed that the suspects also made some additional demands from their victims such as transport and training fees bringing the total payment collected from the two suspects to N1,260.”
The Zonal Commander, however, confirmed that upon obtaining a search warrant, both Aminu Sifawa and Ibrahim Shehu were arrested while various incriminating documents which includes fake Nigerian Customs Service employment forms and Nigeria Ports Authority’s letters were recovered.
Other items recovered in the suspect’s house according to Katulngo included prepared aptitude test question papers and score sheets for Nigeria Immigration Service.
He further revealed that suspects confessed that all documents found in his possession were forged and fabricated by him through the help of one John Danjuma of Mbaka & Co Business centre in Abuja who was also arrested by the commission.
He also disclosed that one of the suspects (Ibrahim Shehu) initiated and organized a purported Immigration training at Kwannawa Primary School located at Army Day Primary School in Sokoto.
“He also employed the services of a serving Assistant Superintendent of Nigeria Immigration Service.
“The Immigration officer appeared in his official uniform at the training venue to convince the trainers and make it look genuine.
“The Immigration Superintendent lectured the trainees on the rudiments of Nigeria Immigration Service, prepared exams for them, marked their scripts, and awarded scores. He also sold to the trainees what he claimed to be the Immigration manual (photocopy) at the cost of N5,000 each.
“He also lured and hired the services of the Officer-in-Charge of the drill, from Sokoto State Vigilante”
Meanwhile, the Zonal Commander while announcing that the suspects will soon be arranged, advised the general public to be wary of those who derive pleasure in taking advantage of their situation.
He said no federal government agencies or parastatals sell appointment offers not to talk of collecting money from individuals, thereby urging unsuspecting victims to always ask questions if anyone approaches them with such an offer.
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