Richard Ginika Izuora
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a man who allegedly claimed he could secure a presidential appointment for an intended victim.
DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, said at a media briefing on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 that the suspect, Prince Mohammed Momoh, was arrested on July 28.
The suspect allegedly demanded the sum of N18,950,000 ($50,000) from one Benson Aniego and promised to get him an appointment as President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on Oil and Gas.
Momoh, who had previously served as an aide to an unnamed presidency official between 2013 and 2015, told Aniego that the N18.5 million would be shared between Buhari’s Chief of Staff, and other facilitators.
Aniego reported the case to the DSS when he became suspicious of Momoh who was then arrested after a meeting was set for the payment.
“We are pleading with Nigerians to desist from falling victims to fraudsters who continue to drop the names of top government officials for pecuniary gains.
“We will continue to fish them out and expose them for what they are: fraudsters and nothing more,” Afunanya said.
Momoh said he only collected a curriculum vitae from someone he wanted to help to secure a job before he was arrested.
However, Afunanya said he’s the leader of a syndicate that defraud unsuspecting Nigerians by dropping the names of the top government officials to run various schemes.
He said the DSS will catch up with the three other members of the scheme who are currently at large, and charge them to court.