The Akwa Ibom State Command of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a woman, Blessing Ezekiel Ubengama and her husband, Joseph Richard Ufot, for criminal conspiracy, fraud and job scam involving about 7,000 victims running into tens of millions of naira in Uyo.
The spokesperson of the corps in the state, SC Friday Ekerete, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, July 29, 2024.
The couple was arrested on Monday, 22nd July 2024 along IBB way in Uyo following complaints from some members of the public about her fraudulent extortion of huge sums of money with a promise to offer them employment into the State Civil Service.
“Furthermore, the suspect also used a fake NGO – ‘Child Support Foundation’ which she claimed was sponsored by UNICEF to register about 7,000 children at #1,000 each for a supposed UNICEF children grant which turned out to be a scam,” the statement read.
“The suspects: Blessing Ezekiel Ubengama* ‘F’ 27 years and her husband *Joseph Richard Ufot* ‘M’ 46 years collected money from various persons with a promise to secure employment for them in the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service.
“She claimed to be a Personal Assistant to one Dr. Helen Mbobo Akpan, who she claims is an SSA to Akwa Ibom State Governor on special duties.
“She allegedly offered employment letters to hundreds of unsuspecting victims after paying 4,800 naira, but salaries were not paid for months which led them to question her project as a scam, coupled with her inability to provide the grants and agricultural support for which she extorted money for.”
Parading the suspects before pressmen in Uyo, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Engr. Eluwade Eluyemi, described the act as criminally inhuman.
He called on Akwa Ibomites and Nigerians to be wary of employment scams.
The NSCDC boss emphasized that recruitment into any organization in Nigeria – Government or private is free, and citizens should desist from paying for jobs.
He advised citizens to visit government offices or check websites of organizations to verify if they are recruiting and take demand for payment as a red flag.
Commandant Eluwade assured the victims that the suspects will be made to refund all monies extorted both from victims of employment scam and victims of the fraudulent NGO scam, after which they will be duly charged to court for their crimes.
