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.
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 channels when seeking jobs to avoid falling prey to criminals in the guise of providing employment.
He said: “We have before me syndicates that specialise in duping people through employment scams. 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 its course. We will get to 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 to the right source. All these online 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 victim 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 my friends on Facebook and I asked what they do for a living and he said he is working in a company called Quest.
“I sent my file details including NIN, passport and results. After the second day, they called me to say that my file had been approved. I went there and after that, I noticed that their work was 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 they sell products like homewares, healthcare, among others while explaining that their headquarters is in some Asian countries and their coordinator in Nigeria is based in Lagos.
“We are registered with CAC. The headquarters are in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. Our coordinator is based in Lagos. We have never been 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 would find money to do it. Today, he said that his dad called him to come home. The money we collected is for the file