Fake NNPC officials dupe job seekers of N1.5m

Over the past few days, two fake NNPC employees, who have extorted job seekers of over N1.5m were arrested by members of the Nigerian Police Force, Niger State Police Command.

Job scams are an infamous part of the Nigerian labour market. It is why a lot of employers now post disclaimers, notifying job seekers that they will never ask for any amount be paid over the internet or in real life.

According to Northern City News, the two suspected fraudsters are, 40-year-old Elijah Olawale, a geology graduate from Kwara State, and 25-year-old Timothy Oyewole, a self-employed events manager from Ede, Osun State.

The law caught up to them after they duped one George Elada of the National Examination Council’s headquarters, Minna.

The suspects used the desperation of these job seekers to extort them with claims that they were employees of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Kaduna. Oyewole posed as the Head of Department, Human Resources.

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Muhammad Abubakar, Niger State Police Command Public Relations Officer claims the suspects had confessed to their crimes.

Oyewole blames his career path on a lack of employment, “I cannot remember how this idea of defrauding people came to me. There are no jobs in the country; graduates are roaming the streets without jobs; it is frustration that led me to fraud, honestly speaking.”

Olawale told Northern City News that, “The proceeds from my business were not sufficient to cater for my family responsibility. That was why l am into fraud.

“I got most of my victims through Facebook and from the moment I started chatting with them, they started paying in installments into my account.”

Abubakar begged job seekers to refrain to making random payments over the internet.