The Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a 27-year-old man accused of posing as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to defraud parents and students.

The suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, allegedly presented himself as a corps member while working at the International Model Science Academy, a subsidiary of the National Mathematical Centre located in the Kwali Area Council.

The FCT Commandant of the corps, Olusola Odumosu, disclosed the arrest during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

Odumosu dismissed online reports alleging that the command was unlawfully detaining the suspect and demanding large sums of money for his release. He described the claims as false, misleading, and baseless.

According to him, contrary to claims that the suspect had been held for 65 days without trial, the corps obtained a court remand order after the suspect failed to meet his bail conditions.

The commandant said investigations revealed that the suspect used a forged NYSC call-up letter to secure employment at his purported place of primary assignment. He added that the NYSC had issued a disclaimer confirming that the suspect was not a registered corps member.

Further investigations showed that the suspect allegedly collected money from parents under the pretext of registering their children for a University of Cambridge scholarship programme.

Odumosu stated that the suspect also created cloned Cambridge University email accounts through which he sent fake confirmation messages to unsuspecting parents.

“He also collected money from parents, claiming he would arrange extra lesson teachers for their children to help them pass the scholarship examination,” he said.

The commandant added that the suspect equally received payments from some parents for the purchase of books purportedly meant to prepare the students for the examination.

Items recovered from the suspect include an NYSC uniform, a forged NYSC call-up letter, documents showing financial transactions from parents, and a bag containing hard drugs.

Odumosu explained that the amount circulating online as money allegedly demanded by the command for the suspect’s release actually represented funds the suspect had fraudulently collected from parents, which he was expected to refund.