The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a man, Abdullahi Saliu, who allegedly posed as a colonel in the Nigerian Army to defraud job seekers of ₦1.37 million in a fake employment scheme.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the command described the arrest as a major breakthrough in its ongoing war against crime and fraud under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal.
According to the police, Saliu was apprehended at Top-Quality Hotel after a painstaking investigation revealed that he had duped two unsuspecting victims, Oshoade Janet and Daisi Remilekun Joy. The suspect allegedly convinced the women that he could secure employment for their sons in the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
“Under this false pretext, the suspect fraudulently obtained the sum of one million, three hundred and seventy-seven thousand naira (₦1,377,000), which he converted to his personal use,” the statement said.
Further investigations uncovered that Saliu’s fraudulent activities spanned several states, with victims traced to Edo, Delta, Kogi, and Ondo. The police noted that he had been on their wanted list for a long time as a notorious job racketeer.
The suspect is known for impersonating high-ranking officers across various security agencies, presenting himself at different times as a Nigerian Army colonel, a naval officer, and a senior officer in the Immigration and Customs services—all in a calculated attempt to swindle unsuspecting members of the public.
Saliu has since been arraigned before Magistrate Court 1 for prosecution.
The police command added that the arrest is one of several successes recorded recently in its efforts to clamp down on criminal networks and protect citizens from fraudsters.
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This country problem no go end