The Rivers State Police Command has successfully dismantled a fake job syndicate in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area, rescuing 16 victims in the process. State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, announced the operation during a press briefing at the Command’s Headquarters in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Disu explained that the syndicate was uncovered after police responded to a distress call from residents who suspected a hostage situation. The suspects had been posing as company employees and potential employers, defrauding unsuspecting job seekers of large sums ranging from N650,000 to N850,000.
On August 29, 2024, at about 3 PM, operatives from the Rivers State Police Command’s Octopus Strike Force acted on credible information about a possible hostage situation in a compound at Igwuruta. They arrested Chukwudi Okoli, who claimed to be an employee of Qjoseansel International Global Limited.
During the operation, police rescued Amiye Joseph and fifteen other victims—thirteen males and two females. Preliminary investigations revealed that each victim had paid between N650,000 and N850,000 to the fraudulent company, which falsely promised jobs in the Oil and Gas sector, with payment in US dollars.
The fraudsters randomly selected phone numbers to lure potential victims, inviting them to Port Harcourt for bogus interviews. After extorting large sums, victims were held in a facility where they were monitored and trained to deceive others into believing in fake job opportunities, with promises of $450 per week. New entrants were required to pay $25 for a registration process, with a platform generating usernames and passwords for registrants.
Disu confirmed that sophisticated gadgets were recovered from the suspects’ operational base, including phones, laptops, television sets, generators, industrial fans, and office furniture. Both the suspect and the recovered items are now in police custody while investigations continue.
In a related case, police arrested a suspect involved in a child abduction in Enugu State, who had trafficked the victim to Port Harcourt. The victim was successfully rescued. Commissioner Disu stated that on September 13, 2024, operatives from Abuloma Police Station acted on credible intelligence about a suspicious man with a young girl. They arrested 24-year-old Prince Ogbonda, a native of Elekahia Community in Port Harcourt, who was found holding a 16-year-old victim against her will.
The victim has since undergone medical examination and treatment, while the suspect remains in police custody.
