The Rivers State Police Command has announced that its operatives have smashed a fake job syndicate, while sixteen other persons were rescued in Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state. According to the police rescued persons, the arrested persons include 13 females who lost various sums of money to the gang.
The police noted that the suspects who claimed to be company workers and potential employers had used lies to scam unsuspecting job seekers. According to the police, criminals in the past have collected from the victims huge sums ranging from N650,000 to N850,000.00 each for a non-existent job in an oil and gas firm.
The commissioner of police in the state, Olatunji Diclosed, the arrest of the suspects while briefing journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. He noted that the suspects hidout was invaded by the police a call was received from the police about the activities of the criminals which included kidnaping of individuals.
He noted that the police, on August 29, 2024, around 3 p.m., the operatives attached to the Octopus Strike Force from the state command, who acted on credible information from the community, invaded a compound in Igwuruta.
After the invasion the police noted that one person was arrested named Chukwudi Okoli (m), he had told the police he was a staff of the of a company which he called Qjoseansel International Global Limited.
In the operation, the police disclosed that one Amiye Joseph and 15 other victims, comprising 13 males and two females who were held hostage, were rescued and taken to the police station.
He noted that an initial police investigation has shown that the victims, after their arrest, were compelled to pay the phoney company a different amount of money, ranging from N650,000 to N850,000 each. When paying the amount, the victims were told that they would be provided with different jobs in the oil/gas sector. They were also told they would have the opportunity to receive their payment in dollars.
The police further disclosed that the victims have always been kept in an enclosed environment where they are trained on the ways to convince other individuals in the state about the unrealistic job. He noted that the individuals were promised to be paid $450 per week.
The police also disclosed that every new person taken into the fake job environment was told to pay the sum of $25, which is claimed to be used in facilitating their employment in the company. The suspects, according to the police, have designed an online platform that generated a username and password for registrants upon completion of registration.
The victims, when taken in the fake office environment, were told to take themselves away from all kinds of people in the society. It was disclosed that Sophisticated gadgets and items were recovered from the operational office of the suspect. The times recovered includes phones, laptops, television sets, generators, industrial fans and office furniture.
He noted the suspect has been taken into custody while the police are currently carrying out their investigation to unravel all the suspects that have been complicit in the case.
In another operation, the police announced the rescue of a child who was taken from Enugu State and ferried it to Port Harcourt for trafficking. According to the police, the suspect was arrested in the state.
The police boss explained that the operatives, on September 13, 2024, at about 10 am, who were attached to the Abuloma Police Station, Port Harcourt, got reliable information about a man who was taking the little girl to an unknown destination in the state.
He noted that the police, when the information was passed, rushed to the indicated venue of the event and took the suspect hostage; he was named Prince Ogbonda, aged 24. It was disclosed that he hails from the Elekahia Community in Port Harcourt, but a resident of Akwuke area, Enugu.
On the other hand,,, it was noted that the teenagers who name is undisclosed hails from Garki area, Enugu State was reportelhy held beyond his will.
The police disclosed that preliminary ingestion by the police indicated that the suspect lured the victim out of the Garki area in Enugu, put her in a Ghana-Must-Go-bag and brought her from Enugu to Port Harcour.
It was further explained that when the suspect and victim had arrived in the state, she was taken to one individual named Chima, who he said has a speciality in internet fraud. The suspect was said to be residing in the Ozuoboko community. It was also revealed that Chima and one other yet-to-be-identified suspect had non-consensual carnal knowledge of the victim repeatedly.
The Police chief disclosed that the victim had been taken to the hospital for medical examination and treatment while the suspect was currently in police custody. He noted that the police have stated investigations into the crime while efforts were being made to arrest the other individuals who are currently on the run.
