The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a man accused of defrauding no fewer than 175 job seekers under the guise of securing school feeding jobs for them across the state.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Monday in Birnin Kebbi, saying preliminary investigations exposed an elaborate employment scam.
According to the police, the suspect falsely claimed he had the authority to facilitate recruitment into government-approved primary and secondary schools under the school feeding programme.
Investigators said the victims, who believed the claims, were persuaded to pay ₦30,000 each as so-called “processing fees” for the non-existent jobs.
The police revealed that the suspect, a resident of the KCC area of Birnin Kebbi, allegedly collected a total sum of ₦5.2 million from the unsuspecting job seekers.
Further findings showed that no such employment opportunities existed and that the suspect had no approval or mandate from any government agency to carry out recruitment on its behalf.
SP Usman said the suspect is currently in police custody as investigations continue, adding that he will be charged to court once the probe is concluded.
He warned members of the public to remain cautious and avoid falling prey to fraudulent employment schemes, particularly those demanding upfront payments.
The police spokesperson reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing, assuring residents that perpetrators of such crimes will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the law.
