The Ondo State command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested a man identified as Abdullahi Saliu, who allegedly posed as a senior military officer and swindled victims of more than ₦1.37m in a fraudulent employment racket.

In a statement titled “Ondo Police Command Arrest Fake Army Colonel Over ₦1.37m Employment Scam” and signed by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olushola, the force said Saliu was tracked to Top Quality Hotel, where he had been parading himself as a Colonel in the Nigerian Army.

According to the police, Saliu deceived two victims, Oshoade Janet and Daisi Remilekun Joy, after promising to secure jobs for their children in the Nigeria Customs and Immigration Services.

“He obtained the sum of ₦1,377,000, which he subsequently converted to his personal use,” DSP Olushola revealed.

Investigators further discovered that Saliu had a long history of impersonation and fraud, with victims traced to Edo, Delta, Kogi, and Ondo States.

The statement described him as a notorious job racketeer, known for impersonating senior officers of different security agencies, adding that he had in the past posed as a naval officer, senior immigration officer, and customs officer to defraud unsuspecting citizens.

Police confirmed that the suspect had already been charged before Magistrate Court 1 in Ondo State for prosecution.

“This feat represents one of the several cases successfully cracked by the Ondo State Police Command in recent times,” DSP Olushola said.

The Command commended the support of the Inspector-General of Police while assuring residents that it would intensify efforts to protect them from criminal syndicates.

“The command seizes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to protecting the lives, property, and interests of all residents, while ensuring that fraudsters and criminally minded elements are brought to justice,” the statement read.