By Milcah Tanimuu
A nurse in search of employment has fallen victim to fraudsters who swindled her of the sum of N650,000. The fraud syndicate, posing as recruitment officers, originally demanded N750,000 from Juliet, the nurse, while operating in the Igando area of Lagos State.
The Igando Division of the State Police Command, acting on intelligence, conducted a raid on the syndicate’s hideout, resulting in the arrest of 19 suspects at their operating base in the area.
Juliet, who hails from Enugu, explained her ordeal, saying, “I am a nurse and I came all the way from Enugu. My friend introduced me to the company. I have paid N650,000 out of the N750,000 they asked for.”
Upon arriving in Enugu, Juliet was accommodated in a room with eight other women who were also seeking employment. They were told that they would undergo training before securing the promised jobs.
Another eyewitness to the arrest, Taofeek Ibrahim, revealed that this group of individuals was targeting victims from other states and neighboring countries. The fraudsters lured them with promises of high-paying jobs in prominent companies like Shell in Lagos, offering a monthly salary of N300,000. Some victims, including one from Ghana, had already paid substantial amounts.
The nurse became suspicious when she observed that those who had promised them jobs appeared disheveled. The police later conducted a raid on the fraudsters’ hideout located at John Kay Crescent, Lanre Bus-stop, Igando.
While the State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached for comments, the Divisional Police Officer at Igando, Ekehinde Ehiomoba, confirmed the arrest, stating that “19 suspects were arrested.”
