DSS nabs man over $50,000 appointment ‘fraud’

The Department of State Services, (DSS) has arrested a suspected leader of a crime syndicate,  Prince Mohammed Momoh, who specialises in dropping names of senior government functionaries to dupe members of the public.

Parading the suspect before journalists, Tuesday, at the headquarters of the DSS in Abuja, Spokesperson of the commission, Dr Peter Afunanya, said the 42-year-old suspect was arrested on June 28, 2020, after he allegedly demanded $50,000 from an indigene of Bayelsa state identified as Benson Aniego to secure an appointment as Special Assistant to the President on Oil and Gas.

According to him, Momoh, along with three others now at large: Michael Omoh, Pastor Ofeanyi, and one Monday, had approached the victim on June 5, 2020, with the offer prompting him to lodge a compliant with the DSS.

Afunanya further stated that investigation revealed that Momoh, who is the ring leader of the group, had worked in the Villa as one of the errand boys to a former government appointee which afforded him the opportunity to master the working conditions of the environment.

He said the DSS investigation also revealed that the suspect, who also posed as security detail, had told his victims that out of the $50,000; $25,000 would go to the Chief of Staff to the President while the balance would be shared among the “boys” facilitating the job.

Speaking to journalists, Momoh, who is married with two children and hails from Kogi state, admitted to have committed the crime, stating that it was “just unfortunate”.

While advising members of the public against this new criminal tactics, the DSS spokesman, warned against sharing too much information on the social media.

He said the syndicate gathered information from social media and used it against the victims.

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