By Ignatius Chukwu & Blessing Ita
Job seekers suffer all manner of torture and ugly experiences. Now, the police in Port Harcourt have burst a camp where job seekers were kept as prisoners under extortion. They were being used to trap their friends and relations in forex racket to get jobs. This success is also one of the many others handed over by the outgoing police boss, Olatunji Disu, who is proceeding to the FCT.
Police report: On August 29, 2024, at about 3 pm, operatives of the Rivers State Police Command attached to the Octopus strike force, acting on a credible piece of information about a possible hostage situation in a compound at Igwuruta.
The operatives swung into action and arrested a suspect, Chukwudi Okoli ‘m’, who posed as a staff of a company, Qjoseansel International Global Limited.
During the operation, Amiye Joseph and 15 other victims comprising 13 males and two females were rescued and led to the station.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the unsuspecting victims had each paid monetary sums ranging from N650,000 to N850,000 each to the phoney company with vain assurance that they would be given jobs within the Oil/Gas sector and receive payment in US Dollars.
The fraudsters operated in such a way that they would call their unsuspecting victims over the phone after a random selection of phone numbers. They would then introduce them to job opportunities and invite them to Port Harcourt where they would undergo fake interview processes.
The victims are then extorted huge sums of money and held in a facility where they would be keenly monitored. After this is achieved, the victims will be subjected to training where they will be taught to convince potential victims about the job opportunities with a pay of USD 450 per week.
New entrants were tasked to pay $25 to facilitate a registration process.
The suspects designed an online platform that generated a username and password for registrants upon completion of registration. Throughout the process, the victims are instructed to alienate themselves from other people.
Sophisticated gadgets and items were recovered from the operational office of the suspect including Phones, Laptops, Television sets, generators, Industrial Fans and office furniture.
The suspect and exhibits are in Police custody while the investigation is ongoing. We have intensified efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate.
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