NSCDC Parades 14 Suspected Fraudsters in Ekiti

Nabs serial motorcycle snatcher in Osun

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti 
and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has paraded 14 suspected fraudsters for allegedly defrauding members of the public with fake job offers.

Similarly,  NSCDC  Osun State Command has apprehended a suspected serial motorcycle snatcher,  27 years  old Wahab Saburi  of Obada Compound Ede, Osun State.

Parading the suspects in Ado-Ekiti, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Agboola Sunday said operatives of the Counter Terrorists Unit of the command arrested the syndicates who specialise in duping people with fake job opportunities. 

According to him, the victims are caged somewhere in the state to extort money from them in the guise of providing employment adding that the case will be thoroughly investigated. 

He called on members of the public to go through the right channel is seeking for jobs to avoid falling prey to the criminals in the guise of providing employment. 

He said: “We have before me syndicates that specialise in duping people through employment scam. They invite some people from other states and promise to give them employment. From there, they will kidnap and detain them. 

“The case will be thoroughly investigated and make sure that the law takes it course. We will get into the root of this crime. 

“To the public, I will advise them to make sure that if they are looking for employment, they should go the right source. All these online operators are somehow dubious because you don’t know who is who. Let them know the company they want to apply to or the organisation so that they will not fall victims to all these criminals.”

During an interview with journalists, one of the victims who identified himself as Ayala Favour said he came from Ogbomosho to Ado-Ekiti for employment in the company named Quest Company through one of the agents who contacted him on Facebook.

According to him, he sent his details to them and allegedly paid N70,000 for file and accommodation, adding that the suspects denied them the opportunity to communicate with anyone outside the premises where they were lodged in the state. 

His words: “I came from Ogbomosho to Ado-Ekiti. I met one of a friend on Facebook and I asked what they do for a living and he said he is working in a company which is Quest company.

“I sent my file details including NIN, passport and results. After the second day, they called me that my file has been approved. I went there and after that I noticed that their work is not genuine. 

“I have paid N70,000. They said N20,000 is used to submit files and N50,000 is for accommodation. I noticed that they don’t give us free hands to do anything. We can’t communicate with anyone.”

Some of the suspects said that they sell products like home awareness, health and care, among others while explaining that their headquarters is in some Asian countries and their coordinator in Nigeria is based in Lagos. 

“We sell products like home awareness, health and care and we are into education. We are registered with CAC. The headquarters is in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Philippine. Our coordinator is based in Lagos. We have never given a job and we collect N20,000 from them as apartment fees.

“We met on Facebook and when he came, we explained the business to him. He said that he liked it and will find money to do it. Today, he said that his dad called him to be coming home. The money we collected is for the file.”

Meanwhile,  the  NSCDC Osun State Command has apprehended a suspected serial motorcycle snatcher, Wahab Saburi  of Obada Compound Ede, Osun State.  The State Commandant, Michael Adaralewa said the suspect was arrested on 11th May 2024, at Oke-Ola Area, Ede, Osun State by NSCDC personnel in the state.

In his confessional statement,  Saburi said he started stealing motorcycle about   three years ago and on the day he was arrested, he stole a motorcycle parked in front of an apartment at Oke-Ola, Ede, and he used a particular key which he uses to steal to unlock the motorcycle

Discreet investigation revealed that he had four  stolen motorcycles in his room which he allegedly stole at Agip area, Ayo–Omoba, Obada, Ede, Osun State. According to the suspect, he sells the  stolen items to his buyers at the rate of  40,000.

He stated further that he has someone in a popular market in Ede, Osun State, who prepares sales agreement papers for him, which he, thereafter, give to whoever buys the stolen motorcycles from him.

Commandant Adaralewa said the suspect was apprehended by officers of NSCDC and investigation revealed that whenever he steals motorcycle, he keeps it in his room at Obada Street Agate, Ede, Osun State.

The State Commandant assures members of the public that all accomplices to the crime would be made to face the full wrath of the law in due course. The corps shall  continue to smoke out criminally minded people out of the state.