The Sokoto Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested as serving Assistant Superintendent 11 of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Sokoto command and two others: Aminu Sifawa and Ibrahim Shehu, following their alleged involvement in job scam with the intent to defraud innocent unemployed applicants of their hard earned monies.
Briefing journalists on the successes recorded against the job scammers in Sokoto on Wednesday, the Sokoto Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Mr Bawa Usman Kaltungo, appealed to Nigerians not to subscribe to those requesting monies for employment.
According to Kaltungo, the criminal syndicates lured their victims with assurances of getting job for them at lucrative places such as Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
He added that the suspects (Aminu Sifawa and Ibrahim Shehu) extorted N1.6million from Aminu Binji and Bello Abubakar Wamakko on the pretext of getting employment for them at the NCS and NPA.
Noting that 26 unsuspecting applicants have so far fallen prey of this non- existing job scam, Kaltungo listed other items recovered from the suspects to include prepared aptitude test question papers and score sheets for the Immigration.
On further investigation, the EFCC zonal commander said the suspect confessed that all documents found in his possession were forged and fabricated by him through the help of John Danjuma of Mbaka & Co Business Centre, Mararaba, Abuja.
Kaltungo said, “He subsequently led operatives of the EFCC to Abuja where they arrested the said Danjuma and his computer containing the prototype of the recovered documents in his system”.
He also disclosed that the suspect, Ibrahim Shehu also collected monies from unsuspecting applicants in the name of going to get them job in the NIS.
He added that the suspect organised a purported Immigration Training at Kwanawa Primary school located within the vicinity of the the Army Day Primary School, Kwanawa.
Kaltungo said, “He (the suspect) also employed the services of a serving Assistant Superintendent 11 of the Nigeria Immigration Service and another Officer in Charge of Drill of the Sokoto State Vigilante Group who equally served as Officer in Charge of Drill in the purported training.
“The Immigration officer appeared in his official uniform at the recruitment/training venue to convince the trainers and make it look genuine. The Immigration officer lectured the trainees in the rudiments of the Nigeria Immigration Services, prepared exams for them, marked their scripts and awarded scores.
“The Immigration officer also sold to the trainees what he claimed to be the Immigration manual (photocopy) at the cost of N500 each.”
Speaking to journalists, one of the the suspects, Ibrahim Shehu, said he was only runing an NGO with the name Promotion of Peace Through Religion and Tribal Tolerance Foundation to assist people before the Immigatation officer took advantage of them to perpetuate the crime.
One of the victims, Jeremiah Gamgba, said he is a WASCE holder while he was introduced to the man by his friend.
He said. “I was asked to register with N25,000 and another N25,000 for three sets of uniforms.”
Sokoto Zonal Commander, EFCC, Mr Bawa Kaltungo, displaying some of the fake documents printed by the job scammers.
