Police Arrest Man Who Scammed 121 Job Seekers 

By Frank Oshanugor

The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police has arrested  a serial fraudster, Hamza Abdullahi Gambo, an indigene of Karofim-Madaki of Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State for issuing fake employment letters in the name of Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) after collecting over #5, 000 000(five million naira) from them.

The IRT team apprehended the suspect  in the Bauchi metropolis after one Beatrice Itodo reported  that the suspect swindled her a total of two million, three hundred and sixty six thousand naira (N2,366,000) through fake employment letters issued to many of her relatives.  The letters were purported to have been issued by the Agency.

The suspect ,who was a former employee of NIMET confessed to have issued the fake employment letters and that he was paid for doing so through his Guaranty Trust Bank Account number  0018546542.

He  stated that he was a senior school certificate holder who was employed by the NIMET in 2003 adding that he was dismissed , reinstated and later dismissed again .

Gambo also confessed that he issued fake employment letters to a total of one hundred and twenty one (121) job seekers through fake letters of appointment,  designed with the agency’s logo and staff signature before his arrest.

He also admitted through a confessional statement to the police  to have collected a total of five million, one hundred and seventy three thousand naira (N5,173,000.00) from the job seekers through his bank account.

He also revealed that Itodo had paid two million, three hundred and sixty six naira (N2,366,000.00) to him through his GTB account number for fifteen job seekers initially and the fake employment letters with NIMET letterhead were issued to them through electronic mail addresses.

He confessed that  “I cannot remember how much I collected based on individuals but the total amount is two million, three hundred and sixty six thousand naira.”

“I received the money  via my account number as stated earlier.” the suspect stated .

Why being interrogated by police detectives on what the proceeds of the crime were  used for,  the suspect said that he used it to build a house in  Kandahar, Bauchi State with the intention of selling it to pay his victims at the end of the day.

A perusal by our reporter at the fake employment letter shows that it was dated 1st March 2021 and was signed by Rabi Mohammed,  Director of Admin and Supply for the Managing Director of NIMET.

Police detectives are still conducting discreet investigations into the criminal activities of the suspect to apprehend those behind the design and printing of the fake employment letters.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba has warned unemployed Nigerians desperately seeking for employment to ensure they conduct necessary checks before engaging in such ventures with private citizens for security reasons.