An officer of the Department of State Services, identified as Salihu Muhammed, has admitted to collecting N2.5 million from job seekers after promising to secure them employment with the secret police, but failed to fulfill his promise. One of the victims, Abdulkadir Liman, told SaharaReporters that Muhammed collected N2.5 million from him and another applicant, Abdullahi Alhassan, after claiming that his superior had reserved recruitment slots for interested candidates at N2.5 million each.
According to Liman, the arrangement was introduced to him by Alhassan, who had initially paid Muhammed N2 million in two instalments of N1.5 million and N500,000, with an agreement to pay the outstanding N500,000 after receiving an appointment. Liman said he was pressured by Muhammed into taking a loan and almost selling his only car to pay for the recruitment process. He alleged that potential buyers offered considerably lower prices because they suspected he was desperate to dispose of the vehicle.
Liman further alleged that Muhammed continued demanding the outstanding balance and that, at one point, someone contacted him claiming to be calling from a DSS office to ask questions about his application and personal details. He said he eventually abandoned plans to sell his car because several aspects of the recruitment arrangement appeared questionable. Liman also disclosed that he had independently checked the DSS recruitment requirements online before making any payment and discovered that he was already above the stipulated age limit of 30 years.
When Liman raised the issue with his friend, who subsequently informed Muhammed, the DSS officer allegedly assured them that his age would not be a problem. Liman alleged that Muhammed offered to arrange a new National Identification Number registration for him to alter his date of birth and backdate his age, demanding an additional N30,000 for the arrangement. He further claimed that other applicants were invited to an interview at the DSS centre in Victoria Garden City, Lagos, but he and Alhassan were excluded.
When contacted by SaharaReporters, Muhammed confirmed that he was a DSS officer and admitted that he collected the said money in connection with efforts to secure recruitment opportunities for the applicants. However, he denied defrauding Liman and his friend, insisting that he had been trying to help them through contacts within the security agency. Muhammed said that a friend of his who is a police officer introduced him to the victim, whom he identified as a cousin working with the fire service, but wanted to leave his job and join the DSS.
Muhammed claimed that the recruitment arrangement encountered difficulties because Liman had not obtained his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate before the DSS completed compiling its list of applicants. He said he had introduced Liman to a cousin who is also a DSS officer and could assist with the recruitment process. Muhammed said that Liman had repeatedly contacted him since 2022, seeking assistance with DSS recruitment.
Liman and Alhassan eventually concluded that the arrangement had not produced the promised appointments and demanded a refund of their money. According to him, Muhammed asked them to allow two months for repayment after they requested their money back in May, but they have yet to receive any refund to date. The victims are now demanding a refund of their money.
Key points
- A DSS officer collected N2.5 million from job seekers but failed to secure them employment.
- The officer, Salihu Muhammed, denied defrauding the victims, saying he was trying to help them.
- The victims have yet to receive a refund of their money despite repeated requests.
