By Olamilekan FAWAS
The Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria, has paraded two suspected impersonators (names withheld), who have been allegedly collecting money from unsuspecting potential recruits to get them enlisted into the Depot as recruits.
Parading the suspects at the Depot NA, Zaria,Kaduna State, the Acting Army Public Relations Officer (APRO), Lt. Adekunle Adeyemi said the suspects impersonated as Military officers.
He said there had been reports of such fraudulent activities, where the suspects and the likes allegedly collected huge amount of money from people with assurance of getting them slots during the Depot Recruits Intake.
He said: “The attention of this noble institution has been drawn to activities of some fraudsters parading themselves in Zaria metropolis as military officers.
“These suspects indulged in defrauding unsuspecting potential recruits of their hard earned money.
“They use the social media and proxies to lure their victims to pay them money as inducement on the promise of assisting to get them recruited into the Nigerian Army.” he said.
Adeyemi said the suspects, who were among the recruitment racketeers were arrested on July 29, around Chindit Contonement by the Depot’s Military Police.
The Army spokesman said the arrest was possible after some defrauded victims raised an alarm which led to immediate action that yielded positive result.
“The arrested suspects claimed to be working in collaboration with the duo of Abubakar Sadiq Musa and Lawal Bala Abdullahi whom they said paraded themselves to be military officers and lure unsuspecting victims for the syndicate.
“I want to state unequivocally that Abubakar Sadiq Musa and Lawal Bala Abdullahi who are currently at large were at no time officers of the Nigerian Army.
“The arrested suspects attested in their confessional statements to have so far defrauded no fewer than eight potential recruits to the tune of N1.32 million which was shared among themselves.”
Adeyemi said of the total amount extorted, only N163,000 was recovered from the suspects.
He assured that recruitment into the Nigerian Army was free and only possible through a transparent and rigorous process which started from completion of online registration form and subsequent screening process at the respective state recruitment centres.
He, therefore, called on the general public to be aware of the nefarious activities of fraudsters and resist the temptation of falling victims of fraudulent online social media platform that request for payment for easy enlistment.
Speaking to journalists, one of the suspects claimed to be residing in Rigasa, Kaduna while the other also claimed to be from Isa Kaita area of Kaduna.
The duo, however, traded blame against each another, claiming that it was one that invited the other for the nefarious activities using a name of an army officer.
They also confessed to have been collecting N250,000 from each of their victims for possible enlistment into the Nigerian Army.
