By Joy Baba with agency report
Security officials working with Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have arrested nine suspects in connection with a fake recruitment exercise into the FIRS.
The suspects were tracked down after months of investigation, including electronic and telecommunications trail, according to reliable sources.
The suspects are being investigated for alleged forgery of documents, impersonation of officials of FIRS and other federal ministries, agencies and banks officials, deceit of members of the public and for soliciting for money for promotion of FIRS officials.
The suspects, who employed a vast network of websites, email addresses, computers, telephone lines and bank accounts, spread over different parts of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) allegedly solicited and received money from members of the public on a fake recruitment into the FIRS.
Some of the suspects promised they will facilitate the promotion of several FIRS officials. The suspects sent SMS to spouses, relatives and persons connected to FIRS staff.
Among the suspects being questioned by security agencies include: Alex Oki, David Kachia, Yakubu Tanko, Mohammed Shuaibu, Kehinde Jamah, Ogbonna Agwu, Aminu Ibrahim, Pascal Ajah and Chris Onyekachi.
Sources close to the investigation confirmed that suspects’ operational items: telephone lines, several SMS cards, communication equipments were retrieved from the suspects’ residences in the course of the investigation.
Other items reportedly retrieved from the suspects include bags containing assorted documents-including FIRS staff records, a Toyota Carina 11, assorted complimentary cards, polythene bag containing bank deposit slips and album of photographs as well as documents from several ministries and Federal Government agencies.
Luck ran out of the suspects when a member of the gang sent an SMS soliciting payments from a very senior FIRS staff to facilitate the official’s promotion.
The FIRS recently conducted an on-line promotion examination, which ran simultaneously in several locations across the country.
The suspects will soon be charged to court.
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