BENIN—POLICE operatives from Zone 5 Headquarters in Benin City, Edo State, have arrested three persons, for defrauding unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of offering them employment in the oil and gas industry.

The suspects include Ehikhamenor Lewis, 32; Stephen Efegom, 32; and Abdul Qadri Ibrahim, 33.

The police in a statement issued in Benin yesterday and signed by Mr. Emeka Iheanacho, Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin, said the arrest was effected based oncredible information received by the police on their activities.

He disclosed that the suspects, in collaborations with others now at large, placed an employment advertisement in August 2014 on the social media which attracted about 1,122 applicants from Edo, Delta, Lagos and Kano states respectively.

The suspects, who he said confessed to the crime during interrogation by the police, stated that they operated with Jocom Lean Concept Limited to defraud their victims.

He added that preliminary investigations by the police revealed that victims paid between N10,000 and N150,000 into Mr. Joseph James account at Guaranty Trust Bank, owner of Jocom Lean Concept Limited situated at Comfort plaza, Block 2, Suite 29 New Etete road, GRA, Benin for application forms, among others.

Meanwhile, items recovered from the suspects include laptops detailed list of about 1,122 victims, Jocom Lean Concept letter head, 21 deposit slips of Guaranty Trust Bank, letter of introduction to applicants and Jocom Lean Concept training manual and handout.

Zone 5 Police Public Relations Officer, added that investigations were still ongoing, adding that efforts had been intensified to arrest fleeing members of the gang, including Mr. Joseph James, leader of the gang, who escaped when he discovered that some of his gang members had been arrested.