Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, working with the Badagry Joint Task Force (JTF), have uncovered a suspected illegal job recruitment syndicate in Ajara Topa, Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, arresting three foreign nationals and 17 other suspects in a major crackdown on employment fraud.
The operation followed intelligence gathered after one of the alleged victims reported being lured from Benue State to Lagos with the promise of securing a lucrative job.
Police said the victim later discovered that he was required to pay ₦1.3 million before he could be offered the promised employment, raising suspicions that he had fallen prey to a fraudulent recruitment scheme.
His complaint prompted security operatives to launch an investigation, culminating in a coordinated raid on a suspected recruitment centre located on Yemat Close, Ajara Topa, where the suspects were taken into custody for questioning.
Among those arrested on Saturday were two nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one citizen of the Republic of Benin, and 17 Nigerians.
The Lagos Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, when contacted, was yet to respond to calls but sources from the Lagos Police Command disclosed that investigations are ongoing to determine the specific roles played by each suspect and whether criminal offences were committed.
They added that detectives were also working to establish whether the operation was part of a wider organised employment fraud network targeting desperate job seekers across the country.
According to preliminary findings, the alleged recruitment syndicate promised employment opportunities to unsuspecting applicants before demanding huge sums of money under false pretences.
Investigators are now tracing other possible victims while examining documents and other materials recovered during the operation.
The discovery has heightened concerns over the increasing activities of fraudulent recruitment syndicates that exploit Nigeria’s high unemployment rate by advertising non-existent jobs and extorting money from vulnerable applicants.
A senior police officer said anyone found culpable after the investigation would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Nigeria Police Force also urged Nigerians seeking employment to verify job offers through legitimate organisations and avoid recruiters demanding large payments as a condition for employment.
The Force further appealed to members of the public to promptly report suspicious recruitment activities, assuring that intelligence supplied by citizens remains critical to dismantling criminal networks operating under the guise of employment agencies.
Security agencies have intensified surveillance across Lagos as part of efforts to clamp down on fraud syndicates exploiting job seekers and other vulnerable members of the public.