Operatives of the Adamawa State Police Command have arrested three persons for extorting members of the public to secure employment with the state government.

The prime suspect is Bello Suleiman, 59, a staff officer at the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Yola, the state capital. He allegedly led Muhammed Ahmed Attahir, 31, and Abdulrahman Bashir Ahmad, 23, to commit the crime.

The command spokesperson, Suleiman Nguroje, said the police authorities received a complaint from the executive chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Agency (ADSPHCA), Dr Suleiman Saidu Bashir, that some individuals were impersonating the organisation and extorting innocent residents by issuing them fake employment letters into the state civil service.

Nguroje said the commissioner of police, Dankombo Morris, directed an investigation into the matter, which led to the suspect’s arrest.

He said the culprits and their collaborators issued fake letters of appointment to over ten victims in the state.

They collected N400,000 from each applicant and directed them to a specific FRC office to capture their data.

Items recovered from the suspects include an HP laptop, a thumbprint machine, and four fake appointment letters, now treated as exhibits.

The investigation is ongoing for the fleeing suspects to be apprehended.

The command advised the public to be watchful and report any suspicious characters around them to the nearest police station.