RECRUITMENT FRAUD: NAF SMASH SYNDICATE; ARREST SUSPECT.

RECRUITMENT FRAUD: NAF SMASH SYNDICATE; ARREST SUSPECT.
The Nigerian Airforce on Friday arrested and paraded a member of a fake recruitment syndicate, one Musa Ibrahim Babangida, who within the last two weeks has extorted the sum of N595, 000 from unsuspecting members of the public, promising to give them jobs.
Director of Airforce Public Relation, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa who made the disclosure at a briefing in Abuja, noted that activities of recruitment scammers had embarrassed the force since the exercise started, to the extent that the Federal Character Commission recently accused the NAF of charging fees for its ongoing recruitment contrary the Federal government directive that all such exercises are free.
Famuyiwa said, “The federal Character Commission in a letter dated 22 February 2016 and signed by the Acting Secretary to the Commission drew the attention of the NAF to the possible existence of such illicit recruitment syndicate”.
“I am happy to inform the public that the NAF, acting on information, has been able to arrest a member of one of the syndicates posing as a recruitment agent for the NAF and other security agencies”.
Narrating how the suspect was nabbed, Group Captain Famuyiwa said, “On 24 February 2016, the Air Provost arrested Mr. Musa Ibrahim Babangida aka Facilitator in Abuja. Musa was arrested in company of another suspect; Usman Sakaba who he claims works with FCDA, but is currently at large.
“Our investigation reveals that the suspect is not acting alone but a member of a syndicate. The suspect confessed to have collected money from a number of people with a promise to assist them for recruitment into the military, civil Defence, Road Safety and other Paramilitary organizations.
“Some witnesses who have paid the suspect and his group have also come out. Items recovered from the suspect include 7 banks MasterCard’s, a letter headed paper of the office of the Senate President with a list of candidates seeking recruitment; an MOU specifying agreement between the syndicate and the person seeking a job.
Asked to comment on the allegations, Musa Ibrahim Babangida told Journalist that they were true but that he was introduced into the business by Usman Sakaba.
He acknowledged that monies were collected ranging from N50, 000 per applicant and that some people paid in installments in some cases.
A breakdown of some of the monies collected shows that some people paid N155, 000; N410, 000; and N30, 000.
On why he got himself involved in the act, Musa said it was the work of the devil saying, “I come from a reasonable family. I finished my Diploma in Adult Education and Community development from the Polytechnic Ibadan and I lost my father. I came to Abuja. I don’t have accommodation and Usman Sakaba took me to stay with him in an uncompleted building. That is where he introduced me into it”.
The NAF said he will be handed over to the Police for further investigation and prosecution.
END.