The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a group pretending to be State House staff in Abuja. They were caught for allegedly working together to deceive people, falsely claiming they could get them jobs, and running an employment scam.
Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, said in a statement on Saturday in Abuja that the operatives arrested the suspects separately after investigating complaints from victims. These victims were promised high-ranking jobs in various government ministries and agencies.
The suspects promised the victims jobs like “Director-General” at the Ministry of Communication, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other ministries.
The spokesman listed the suspects to include Augustine Umogboi, who claimed to be a former staff of the State House and Eleojo Idakwo, a fake staff of the Ministry of Information in the Registry Unit.
Others are Kingsley Onuh, who also claimed to just conclude his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Omata Sunday, and Eljayon Nigeria Limited, one of the companies whose bank account they were using to get money from their victims.
“Besides, they had different account numbers of different banks through which they were receiving the money amounting to N22,350,000 from different victims.
“Umogboi was arrested on June 16, Idakwo was arrested on April 30, 2024, while Onuh was arrested on April 3,” he said.
He said that the victims narrated their bitter experience in a series of petitions written to the EFCC, adding that, “the suspects have given useful information to the EFCC and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation”.