The Kano state police command have arrested a man accused of collecting more than N40 million from job seekers in Kano by allegedly promising them government appointments.
The suspect, identified as Ali Alhassan-Mohammed, was arrested by operatives of the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department at Zone One Police Headquarters, Kano, over alleged employment fraud, impersonation and forgery.
The Zone’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Hussaini, said the suspect allegedly posed as a Special Assistant to the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board to gain the confidence of people seeking government jobs.
According to him, more than 10 victims have so far reported to the police, while preliminary investigations indicated that over 20 people may have been defrauded.
The police spokesman said the suspect allegedly demanded money from job seekers in exchange for securing appointments for them and went as far as producing fake appointment letters to convince his victims that their purported jobs had been secured.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect allegedly presented himself as a Special Assistant in Kano State Universal Basic Education Board,” Hussaini said.
He added that the suspect had confessed to the scheme and admitted producing and presenting fake appointment letters to some of the victims.
Police investigators have recovered some of the alleged fake appointment letters as exhibits, he said.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue, with the police saying he will be arraigned after the conclusion of the investigation.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone One, Garba Ahmed, warned members of the public against giving money to individuals who claim they can secure government employment or appointments.
He advised prospective job seekers to independently verify such claims with the relevant government institutions before making any payments.
