By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

|

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Ekiti State command, has paraded 14 persons suspected to be fraudsters, for allegedly defrauding members of the public with fake job offers.

The suspects who are from Lagos State and other parts of the country were arrested in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, by the counter-terrorism squad of the command.

Parading the suspects at the NSCDC office located along Ikere-Ekiti in Ado-Ekiti, the state Commandant, Mr. Sunday Agboola said the operatives of the counter-terrorism Unit of the command arrested the syndicates who specialise in duping people with fake job opportunities.

According to him, the victims were caged somewhere in the state to extort money from them, under the guise of providing employment.

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

“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 we’ll 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 is 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,” he said.

He said the case will be thoroughly investigated.

During an interview with journalists, one of the victims who identified himself as Ayala Favour, said he came from Ogbomoso 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 Ogbomoso to Ado-Ekiti. I met a friend on Facebook and I asked what they do for a living and he said he is working in a company called 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, 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.”