…targets hidden risks in homes, businesses with boots-on-ground employee verification

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

As insecurity continues to challenge households and businesses across Nigeria, a technology-driven verification company, YourChecka, has launched an intelligence-led background screening service aimed at helping employers detect and prevent insider threats before they occur.

The firm warned that while public attention is often focused on kidnappers, armed robbers and cybercriminals, some of the most damaging security breaches originate from trusted employees who gain access to homes, offices, assets and sensitive information without undergoing proper vetting.

According to the company, a growing number of families and organisations are becoming vulnerable to financial losses, reputational damage and security breaches because hiring decisions are frequently based on CVs, referrals and routine reference checks that reveal little about a candidate’s true background.

In a statement, Product Lead of YourChecka, Dare Ayankoya, said the company was responding to an urgent need for more rigorous employee verification processes as insider threats become a major concern for employers nationwide.

“Many hiring decisions are still made using limited information. Employers often rely on CVs, referrals, referee calls and surface-level checks that reveal little about a candidate’s true background or potential risk profile,” the statement said.

The company noted that, unlike conventional background-check platforms that depend largely on automated data searches, YourChecka deploys experienced intelligence professionals to conduct physical field investigations and behavioural risk assessments.

According to Ayankoya, every verification exercise is carried out by experts with more than two decades of intelligence-gathering experience, providing employers with a deeper understanding of prospective employees beyond what appears on paper.

“Once a candidate consents to the verification process, we combine human intelligence, field verification and behavioural risk analysis to produce a comprehensive report that automated systems cannot provide,” he said.

The company argued that the approach not only helps employers identify potentially high-risk candidates before hiring but also serves as a deterrent against misconduct after employment.

According to the statement, candidates who undergo the verification process often become more conscious of accountability and workplace conduct.

One employee quoted in the release described the experience as transformative.

“I know this employment is different; I must come correct,” the worker reportedly said after completing the verification process.

YourChecka said its investigations are designed to balance thoroughness with efficiency, with intelligence reports typically delivered within two to three weeks, depending on the level of verification requested by employers.

The service targets a broad range of users, including corporate human resource departments recruiting senior executives, businesses seeking to protect sensitive operations, employers hiring for finance and leadership positions, and families engaging domestic workers such as nannies, drivers, caregivers and personal assistants.

The company also said the platform would be particularly valuable for estates, private organisations and high-net-worth individuals making high-trust hiring decisions.

Ayankoya stressed that the objective of the service is not to stigmatise job seekers but to provide employers with reliable information that enables informed hiring decisions.

“The goal is not to treat every Nigerian job candidate as a suspect. It is to give employers a credible platform to identify and filter individuals with malicious intent using evidence rather than assumptions,” he stated.

The company further argued that Nigeria’s background verification industry has become overly dependent on automated checks and database searches, leaving significant gaps that can be exploited by individuals seeking access to homes, businesses and sensitive institutions.

“In a market where automated checks have long been the ceiling for background verification in Nigeria, YourChecka is making the case that the ceiling was never high enough,” the statement added.

YourChecka is a product of Podus+ Limited, an organisation focused on expanding access to protection services, legal aid and justice solutions in Nigeria.

Beyond background verification, Podus+ provides a range of legal technology services, including AI-powered legal guidance, virtual consultations with lawyers, contract review services and court-connected dispute resolution mechanisms.

The company said its broader mission is to close critical gaps in legal and protection services while helping Nigerians make safer and better-informed decisions in their personal and professional lives.