Police arrest man over alleged N5.2m employment scam in Kebbi

The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a man, Hamza Sama, over an alleged employment scam involving about 175 job seekers in the state.

Police said the suspect, a resident of the KCC area of Birnin Kebbi, allegedly collected money from applicants under the pretext of securing jobs in the state’s school feeding programme for primary and secondary schools.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, disclosed that preliminary investigations showed the suspect demanded N30,000 from each applicant as a “processing fee”.

According to the police, the victims paid the money after being assured that the recruitment exercise was genuine and approved by government authorities.

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Those affected in the employment scam in Kebbi include Shafa’atu, Yusuf Yahaya, Hussai Sani and Ubaida Abubakar, alongside over 170 other applicants.

Investigations further revealed that no such recruitment exercise existed and that the suspect had no authorisation from any government agency to conduct employment on its behalf.

Police said the suspect allegedly obtained a total of N5.2 million through the scheme.

Usman said the suspect was currently in police custody, while the investigation was ongoing, with a view to charging him in court upon conclusion.

The police warned members of the public to be vigilant and avoid individuals who promise employment in exchange for money.

He added that the Command remains committed to intelligence-led policing and will continue to arrest and prosecute offenders in line with the law.

(NAN)