DSS Nabs Two Fraudsters Over Extortion

The National Social Investment Programme says two fraudsters have been arrested and handed over to the Department of State Security Service (DSS) in Yola, in Adamawa.

Its Focal Person, Mr Usman Sali, told the Our reporter on Wednesday in Yola that the suspects were arrested for allegedly extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public.

The National Social Investments Programmes (NSIP) was established by the Federal Government in 2016 to tackle poverty and hunger in the country.

Components of the programme include: N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfer, Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF) and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

According to Sali, some undesirable elements in the state are going round impersonating as supervision officers of the programme and extorting money from people to recruit them into the programme.

“Two of such criminals were apprehended and handed over to the DSS for interrogation.

“Also, in Hong Local Government Area of the state, some suspected criminals, who paraded themselves as agents of the programme, were arrested for collecting N40, 000 from each of their victims.

“They were arrested and handed over to the police for being in possession of fake forms and selling the forms to people in the area.

Among the major challenges facing the smooth implementation of the programme’s components in the state is the activities of fraudsters and lack of proper supervision,” he said.

Sali then urged the state government to show interest in the programmes, saying it was designed to assist the common people.