The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a notorious job racketeering syndicate that allegedly specialised in advertising fake employment vacancies to defraud unsuspecting job-seekers.
The crackdown, which occurred in the Igwuruta area of Ikwerre local government area of the State, also led to the rescue of 16 victims held hostage by the syndicate.
According to the State’s Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, the syndicate was uncovered after the command’s Octopus Strike Force responded to a distress call from concerned residents who suspected a hostage situation at the compound where the gang operated.
During the operation, officers arrested one Chukwudi Okoli, who had been posing as an employee of a fake company, Ojoseansel International Global Limited. The company had purportedly been operating from a hidden compound in Igwuruta, tricking unsuspecting job seekers with promises of lucrative employment in the oil and gas sector.
“The victims were led to believe they had secured high-paying jobs in the oil and gas industry, with salaries purportedly paid in US dollars,” said CP Disu. “Each victim paid between N650,000 and N850,000 to the fraudulent company in the hopes of landing the job.”
The Police Commissioner revealed that during the raid, 16 victims—13 males and two females—were rescued. Among them was one Amiye Joseph, who had been lured into the syndicate’s web of deceit along with the other hostages.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that after extorting the victims, the syndicate detained them in a facility where they were closely monitored and subjected to ‘training sessions.’ These sessions were designed to teach the victims how to deceive their friends into believing in the fraudulent job offers, which claimed to pay $450 per week,” CP Disu added.
In addition to rescuing the victims, the Police recovered several items from the hideout, including mobile phones, laptops, generators, television sets, industrial fans, and office furniture, all used to perpetrate the scam.
The Police Commissioner further noted that the gang’s modus operandi involved randomly selecting phone numbers and contacting potential victims, inviting them to Port Harcourt for bogus job interviews. Once the victims arrived, they were extorted and detained.
Disu assured the public that investigations were ongoing and vowed that the Police would continue to crack down on criminal elements exploiting job seekers in the State.