The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a fake official of the Federal Ministry of Education, one Abayomi Owoyale, who had defrauded over 21 unsuspecting victims in search of Federal Government jobs.

The suspect was arrested at the weekend and is currently in detention at the State Department of Criminal Investigation, SDCI, Yaba.

Owoyale was paraded before newsmen on Wednesday at the state police headquarters.

He said no fewer than 21 job seekers have fallen victims to his bait after giving him money to secure teaching jobs.

He confessed to have sold each of the letters, purportedly signed by the permanent secretary of the ministry, for N60, 000, and while some paid in cash, others allegedly paid into a commercial bank account.

On March 15, 2016, the suspect was said to have contacted his first victim in the Agbado area of Ogun State.

He claimed that a politician in Abuja had given him 50 appointment letters to sell to those interested in teaching at federal secondary schools.

Two parents bought the forged appointment letters for their unemployed four children, who are university graduates.

Other youths with Ordinary National Diploma Certificate, reportedly paid to Owoyale directly for jobs.

In the appointment letter, it was stated that the candidates would resume work on May 9 on an annual salary of N845, 200.

One of the letter which was displayed before newsmen during his parade partly read: “You are therefore posted to the Federal Government College, Odogbolu, Ogun State, with effect from May 9, 2016, and you are placed on level 07 of the Federal Government Educational Policy and your new salary will be N845, 200 per annum.”

However, the victims became suspicious when Owoyale started sending controversial text messages to them.

In one of the messages, Owoyale had requested the prospective ‘employees’ to visit the schools they were posted to between April 4 and 15, but he later sent another text message which reads:

“Last Notice: This is to inform all the candidates to please hold on and not to report to the school principals yet until you are told to do so.

“The master list has not been forwarded to some schools. Please, you shall be contacted shortly on when to do so. Thanks.”

A victim identified as Adejobi Adeyemi, said he resigned from a private secondary school in Abeokuta, after he received the letter, thinking that he had secured a better job.

He said, “I am an NCE holder. It was a church member, Damilola, who introduced me to the man. I paid him N15, 000 cash on March 15 and paid another N10, 000 a week after into his Zenith Bank account. On April 1, I paid N5, 000 to make it N30, 000.

“After he gave me the appointment letter, I resigned from the school where I was teaching. I want my money refunded,” the victim pleaded.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who paraded the suspect, said “The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, ordered the transfer of the suspect to the SDCI for discreet investigation.

“He is currently in detention at the SDCI,” the PPRO added.