Man Allegedly Defrauds Job Seekers of N3.6m in Fake Army Recruitment Scam

Troops of the Nigerian Army attached to the Forward Operating Base in Wukari, Taraba State, have taken custody of a suspected recruitment scammer accused of defrauding members of the public with fake promises of enlistment into the Army.

The suspect, identified as Felix Yadeh, was reportedly arrested by members of a local vigilante group in Bantaje Village, Wukari Local Government Area, before being handed over to the military.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, on May 26.

According to the Army, preliminary investigations revealed that the 51-year-old allegedly collected N3.627 million from unsuspecting victims under the guise of securing recruitment slots into the Nigerian Army.

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During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed that he was directed by his younger brother to collect money from individuals as purported recruitment fees.

The Army disclosed that items recovered from him included an Infinix Android phone and N3,050 cash.

Military authorities said the suspect and recovered exhibits remain in custody as investigations continue to determine the full scope of the alleged fraud and identify possible accomplices.

Commander of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army and Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke, Chukwuemeka Michael Akaliro, commended the troops and local vigilante members for their vigilance and swift action leading to the arrest.

He also warned Nigerians against falling victim to individuals claiming they could facilitate recruitment into the Army in exchange for money.

The Brigade stressed that recruitment into the Nigerian Army remains free, transparent and strictly merit-based, urging members of the public to report suspected recruitment scams, impersonation and extortion to security agencies.