The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, FCT Command, has arrested a 27-year-old male suspect who posed as a National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member to defraud parents and students.

 

 

The suspect, name withheld, posed as a corps member to work at the International Model Science Academy, a subsidiary of the National Mathematical Centre in Kwali Area Council of the territory.

 

Mr Olusola Odumosu, the FCT Commandant of the corps, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.

 

 

Odumosu debunked an online media report alleging that the command was illegally detaining the suspect and demanding huge sums of money.

 

He described the report as false, misleading, and an unfounded allegation against the command and its leadership.

 

 

He explained that, contrary to reports that the suspect was detained for 65 days without trial, the corps obtained a court remand order after the suspect was unable to meet his bail conditions.

 

The commandant revealed that the suspect presented a forged NYSC call-up letter to gain employment at his place of primary assignment.

 

He said that there was, however, a letter of disclaimer from the NYSC, disclaiming the suspect as a corps member.

 

“The suspect collected money from parents for the registration of their children for a Cambridge University scholarship.

 

“Investigations also revealed that he cloned several Cambridge University email addresses through which he sent fabricated confirmation emails to unsuspecting parents.

 

“He also collected money from parents, claiming he would secure the services of extra lesson teachers for their wards to help them pass the scholarship exam,” he said.

 

The FCT corps commandant further said that investigations revealed the suspect also collected money from some parents for the purchase of books to help their children prepare for the scholarship exam.

 

He said that exhibits recovered from the suspect include an NYSC uniform, a forged NYSC call-up letter, documents depicting financial transactions by parents to him, and a bag containing hard drugs.

 

He explained that, contrary to the false report on the alleged demand for money by the command for his release, the published sum was the amount of money fraudulently collected from some parents, which the suspect was meant to refund to them.