Abuja - The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Sunday paraded three suspects, who allegedly specialised in defrauding unemployed people under the pretext of giving them jobs.
Parading the suspects before newsmen in Abuja, Mr Emmanuel Okeh, the NSCDC’s Public Relations Officer, said that they were arrested in the FCT, following some intelligence reports on their activities.
He said that investigations revealed that the suspects defrauded Mr Bojor Bobori of N280,000 with the pledge of offering him a job in the corps.
Okeh said that the principal suspect, who claimed to have some connections within the NSCDC, connived with three others to defraud Bobori of the money.
``However, luck ran out on the suspects when Bobori became suspicious of their motive and reported them to the Civil Defence, which led to their arrest,’’ Okeh said.
He said that one of the suspects posed as the Secretary to the Commandant-General of the corps, adding that such claims gave their victims some measure of assurance that they would surely get the jobs.
He said that investigations revealed that the suspects used the premises of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Transcorp Hilton Hotel to perpetrate their nefarious acts.
Okeh, however, cautioned Nigerians, particularly applicants, against patronising persons with questionable character in their efforts to get jobs, saying that they should always endeavour to follow the proper channels.
He said that the corps had found out that some criminals had designed various websites on the Internet to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
He stressed that the NSCDC never advertised job vacancies via the social network, adding, however, that no recruitment was currently going on in the corps.
Okeh said that the fourth suspect, whose bank account was used to accommodate part of the payment made to the prime suspect, was still at large.
He said that the suspects would be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
The principal suspect, who confessed his complicity in the crime, said that he shared the proceeds from the scam with his accomplices.
However, one of the suspects, who allegedly posed as having a link in the corps, said that the money he collected was the repayment of a loan which he gave to the prime suspect.
NAN