Three
workers in Enugu State University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Parklane,
have landed in police net for allegedly gaining employment with forged letters,
purportedly written by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Southern
City News learnt that the said letters bore the official letterhead of the
Office of the Governor and also had the governor’s signature.
The
suspects, Onuoha Gloria, Onwuameze Roseline and Thomas Nwigwe, were reportedly
employed as accountant on Grade 11, Level 7, Higher Executive Officer Level 8
and chief typist CONTISS 8, Step 13, respectively.
Spokesman,
Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the development,
disclosed that one Chijioke Nzegwu facilitated the forged letters.
It
was gathered that Nzegwu received an unspecified sum of money from Nwigwe on
behalf of himself and other suspects, to raise the letters.
Amaraizu
said Nzegwu was on the run, stressing that the police were on his trail and
would surely bring him to book.
The
state police spokesman added that the Command had commenced investigations into
the criminal act.
Southern
City News learnt the employment scam was uncovered after some employees of the
hospital, who were suspicious of irregularities in the appointment of the new
workers, raised the alarm.
There
are unconfirmed reports that similar fraudulent employments are being recorded
in other agencies and establishments in the state.
The
employment scam is coming on the heels of previous attempts by fraudsters to use
the governor’s identity to perpetrate fraud.
In
March, one of Ugwuanyi’s mobile telephone numbers was hacked by fraudsters. The
fraudsters had moved to defraud some prominent individuals in the state, who
they contacted with the mobile telephone number, before the development came to
light.
The
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Uwakwe Abugu, had to issue a
statement, urging members of the public, especially those who had been
contacted by fraudsters, to “totally disregard any communication extended to
them through that cell phone number purporting to have emanated from His
Excellency, the Governor.”
But
not deterred by the discovery of the hacking of the mobile telephone number,
fraudsters again targeted Ugwuanyi, cloning his Facebook account in a bid to
perpetrate fraud.
Abugu
again had to urge members of the public to beware of the fake Facebook account.
In
a statement, Ugwuanyi’s spokesman said, “Regrettably, the attention of the
governor, has again, been drawn to yet another phase of suspected fraudulent
activities, this time, in the social media, where Facebook accounts have been
opened with the name and photograph of the governor, perhaps, with the aim of
defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.
“This
urgent announcement is, therefore, to alert and urge members of the public not
to fall prey to the antics and possible nefarious activities of these suspected
fraudsters.
“All
official business dealings with the Enugu State Government and the governor
should be transacted through the Government House, Enugu, and not through any
social media platform.”
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