•Customs operatives
A 45-year-old businessman, Kazeem Akinwunmi Bolaji, was on Wednesday arraigned before the Kwara State High Court over allegations of orchestrating a fake employment scheme that allegedly defrauded victims of millions of naira.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Directorate, brought an eleven-count charge against him, reports Daily Trust.
The offences bordered on alleged employment scam and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Prosecutors told the court that the defendant allegedly deceived unsuspecting job seekers by promising them placements in the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, while collecting various sums of money in the process.
One of the victims, according to the prosecution, was a set of twin brothers, Taiwo and Kehinde Abe, from whom the defendant allegedly obtained ₦130,026.88 under the guise of securing NSCDC employment slots.
Another complainant, Olarewaju Akande, was said to have parted with ₦45,000 for a similar promise of recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service.
Investigators further alleged that Bolaji operated under multiple false identities, at different times posing as an officer of both the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service to gain the trust of victims.
He was also accused of falsely claiming access to employment quotas, a tactic investigators said enabled him to allegedly rake in about ₦22.5 million from unsuspecting applicants.
When the charges were read, the defendant entered a plea of not guilty.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Sesan Ola, urged the court to fix a trial date while also requesting that the defendant be remanded in custody pending the determination of the case.
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to June 24, 2026, for commencement of trial.
