Men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun, have smashed a job racketeering syndicate that has duped over 100 unsuspecting job seekers of over N65m over phoney job opportunities in a neighbouring country.
The Commander of the Amotekun in the state, Chief Adetunji Adeleye who disclosed this while parading two of the suspected syndicate said the arrest of the two leaders of the gang followed a report from one of the victims, adding that others are still at large.
According to Adeleye, preliminary investigations carried out revealed that the suspects defrauded over 100 young job seekers to the tune of N65m by assuring them of mining of gold in Cotonou in the Benin Republic, after paying N650,000 each.
He said the arrested members of the syndicate include, Pitti Omolade and Ogunbayo Ayorinde, who were based in Ondo State after one of their victims, Midoye, who travelled to Cotonou, slipped off their hook.
Adeleye explained that the syndicate put on the internet a concept through which any interested Nigerians could get a job in the neighbouring countries and whoever indicated interest would be asked to pay N650,000 with the promise to provide accommodation and begin to work immediately in companies looking for workers.
He said: “What they do is to deceive the unsuspecting member of the society that there is greener pasture in a neighbouring country and once you pay N650,000 as entry fee they will be enrolled.
“We are able to infiltrate their ranks and we found out that these super fraudsters have already harvested over 100 young men to Cotonou and house them in a building in Cotonou after collecting N650,000 from each of them.
“They even opened offices in four different places in Nigeria and what they do is to bring out forms saying that they belong to a particular company but we found out that these men are thieves.
“Whatever will happen to the fate of these 100 young men that have already been trapped outside the country we are planning to collaborate with relevant security operatives to seek their assistance to bring them back to Nigeria and unite them with their families.”
Speaking on his experience in the Benin Republic, one of the victims, Midoye said he fell for the bait and travelled to Paraku, a town which is over five hours drive from Cotonou, the capital city of Benin Republic, where he met over 40 young men living in a room.
‘Officials initially offered to help but when the number of able-bodied citizens at the centre increased, they left us unattended to’
He said it dawn on him that he had been swindled and there is no job anywhere and had to return to Nigeria without the knowledge of the men who kept them in a building.
He said: “Immediately I entered the room and saw 40 young men lying on the floor, it became clear that there was no job as presented by the organisers of my trip. But I have paid N200,000 to the syndicate out of the N650,000 charged due to the limit of bank transfer he could make per day.”
Meanwhile, a gang of kidnappers operating in Akoko area of the state have been arrested by Amotekun operatives in Igbokoda after the criminals kidnapped a victim for ransom in Akoko some four months ago.
He explained that the suspects tried to kill one of them, Amadu Sede, for refusing to kill their victim after the family had paid N30m to secure his freedom, leaving Sede to die after he was shot and macheted.
He said the Corps took him to the intensive care unit where he spent 50 days before he regained consciousness. He went through a series of surgery operations, and after recuperating, he took men of the Amotekun Corps to the hideout of the kidnappers, but they had relocated to Igbokoda where they were apprehended.
A 75-year-old Alhaji Ibrahim and his son, Sulaiman Ibrahim and two others who including Mohammed Bello and Abdul Wahab Saminu were arrested after Sede identified them as those who shot him and left him to die.
Adeleye said the kidnappers had some cattle which they used as a decoy for the people in the community to see them as herders.
Meanwhile, Femi Olagbede and Osuntunde Olorunwa were paraded for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in a joint
They were said to have picked the girl on their motorbike and taken her to an uncompleted building where they took turns raping the girl. – Tribune.
