Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a 45‑year‑old businessman, Kazeem Akinwunmi Bolaji, before a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on an eleven‑count charge bordering on an alleged employment scam and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities. The defendant was brought before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, following an investigation that uncovered a pattern of deceit in which unsuspecting job seekers were induced to pay substantial sums of money under the false promise of securing employment with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to the charge sheet, Bolaji allegedly collected various sums of money from multiple victims between 2023 and 2025, representing himself as a person with special connections and influence within the two federal paramilitary agencies. The victims, desperate for stable government jobs, were made to believe that the defendant could facilitate their recruitment into the Customs Service and the Civil Defence Corps in exchange for processing fees, training costs, and other fictitious charges. In total, the amounts involved run into millions of naira, though the EFCC has not released the exact cumulative figure as investigations continue.
The eleven‑count charge includes allegations of obtaining money under false pretences and retention of criminal proceeds, offences that fall under the provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022. The prosecution told the court that the defendant allegedly converted the funds received from the job seekers to his personal use without ever taking any concrete steps to secure the promised employment. When the victims demanded refunds or updates, Bolaji reportedly became evasive, blocked their calls, and disappeared from his known address, prompting the victims to petition the EFCC.
When the charges were read to him in open court, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all eleven counts. Following his plea, the prosecution counsel requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the commencement of trial. The defence counsel, however, moved a formal bail application, arguing that the defendant was not a flight risk and had cooperated with investigators. After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar granted bail to the defendant in the sum of ₦10 million with two sureties in like sum. The court ordered that the sureties must be owners of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and must submit their means of identification and recent passport photographs. The case was adjourned to a date to be fixed for the commencement of trial.
The EFCC has intensified its crackdown on employment fraud syndicates, which have proliferated in recent years as unemployment rates remain high and desperate job seekers fall prey to con artists. The commission has repeatedly warned the public that no genuine recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, or other federal agencies is ever conducted through individual middlemen or unofficial payment channels. Official recruitment exercises are advertised in national newspapers and on the official websites of the respective agencies, and all application processes are free of charge. The EFCC has also urged citizens to verify any job offer through the relevant government bodies before parting with their money.
Bolaji’s case is not isolated. In 2025, the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC secured the conviction of a man who defrauded over 50 victims under the guise of offering them employment with the Kwara State Government. Similarly, in 2024, a fake recruitment syndicate was busted in Lagos for promising jobs with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The recurrence of such scams has led to calls for stiffer penalties and more aggressive public enlightenment campaigns. The EFCC has set up a dedicated desk to handle employment fraud complaints and has encouraged victims to come forward with evidence.
During his arraignment, Bolayi was calm but offered no comment to journalists waiting outside the courtroom. His legal team maintained that he would be fully vindicated at trial, insisting that the transactions were genuine consultancy fees for placement services, not fraudulent inducements. However, the EFCC’s investigator testified that the defendant had no contract or any form of authorization from either the Customs Service or the Civil Defence Corps to recruit on their behalf. Several of the victims, who were present in court, expressed satisfaction that the legal process had finally begun.
As the case proceeds, the EFCC has reiterated its commitment to pursuing all forms of economic and financial crimes, including employment scams, which not only rob citizens of their hard‑earned money but also undermine confidence in the country’s public service recruitment system. The commission has also called on parents and guardians to counsel their children and wards to avoid falling for unrealistic job promises, especially those circulated on social media or through unsolicited phone calls.
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar has fixed a date for the trial to commence, and the defendant remains on bail pending that date. If convicted on any of the eleven counts, Bolaji could face a prison term under the Advance Fee Fraud Act, which provides for up to 20 years imprisonment for each count of obtaining money under false pretence. For now, the businessman who once posed as a powerful fixer for paramilitary jobs stands accused of preying on the hopes of unemployed Nigerians, and the court will decide whether he is a victim of misunderstanding or a serial fraudster.
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