The police in Katsina State paraded a woman, Hajarat Iyeh-Egbunu, for allegedly duping Nigerians with fake employment letters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission.
The woman, who was paraded by the police on Wednesday, allegedly collected the sum of N3.5 million from each of her victims before issuing them with the fake ECOWAS online appointment letters.
The police spokesperson in the state, Gambo Isah, said the suspect collected over N47 million from the job scam.
The police said Iyeh-Egbunu, a resident of Abuja, was a dismissed staff of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and had been on the watch list of security agencies for criminal offences.
Isah said one Ibrahim El-Maki of Rafin Dadi Quarters, in Katsina State, who was now residing at Gwarinpa Quarters, Abuja, was arrested on October 4 as an accomplice of Iyeh-Egbunu, following credible intelligence.
“El-Maki informed Hamza that each offer is sold at three million and five hundred thousand (N3,500,000:00K).
“After Hamza informed his friends of this lucrative offer, they picked interest and gathered N7 million, which they transferred to Ibrahim El-Maki’s account.
“Subsequently, the suspect, El-Maki, sent copies of the appointment letters to him through WhatsApp, which were later traced to be fake,” the police narrated.
Isah further stated that In the course of investigation, El-Maki was traced and apprehended.
He reportedly confessed to have collected the said money and gave it to Iyeh Egbunu, ‘in good faith’ with intent of assisting his friends to get ECOWAS’ juicy appointments.
“Elmaki cooperated and assisted the police in their investigation, which led to the arrest of the principal suspect, Iye-Egbunu, who confessed to have received over N34 million from El-Maki, through her bank accounts.
“But El-Maki stated that Iyeh-Egbunu collected over N47 from him. It may interest you to know that other unsuspecting members of the public defrauded by the suspect through the same modus operandi by Iye Egbunu are still trooping to the Command Headquarters to lodge their complaints.
“Investigation is ongoing,” the police spokesperson said.
