Fraudster extorts over N.6m from widows, divorcees in Kano

After swindling the women, he deployed them to Kano State government owned hospitals; Murtala Mohammad Specialist Hospital, Sir Sanusi Memorial Hospital and Mohammed Jidda General Hospital as compensation.Narrating how they were tricked, one of the women, Halima Jibril of Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State said the suspect duped them under the guise of […]

After swindling the women, he deployed them to Kano State government owned hospitals; Murtala Mohammad Specialist Hospital, Sir Sanusi Memorial Hospital and Mohammed Jidda General Hospital as compensation.
Narrating how they were tricked, one of the women, Halima Jibril of Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State said the suspect duped them under the guise of assisting them to meet their children’s needs.
“He gathered many widows and divorcees and told us that he would assist us to take care of our children if we join his organisation. We joined his association and we have been attending his meetings for two years.
“Four months after we joined his association, he said the state government has directed him to employ us in government owned hospitals. He told us that we will be getting our salaries after three months. He posted us to different Kano State owned hospitals but after we worked for the three months and no payment we raised concern,” she said.
She said following the concern they raised, he told them that they needed to meet government functionaries.
“Since we started the processes we have been giving him N1,500 weekly with a view to gather the money to settle government officials. He was the one that took us to the hospitals with documents and signature of the former governor. We bought identify cards and uniforms and most of us were serving as cleaners in maternity wards,” she said.
On her part, Aisha Aminu said she joined the group in order to meet the daily needs of her six children, adding, “my husband got blind seven years ago and I have six children to cater for. So when I learnt of that opportunity I grabbed it. I have been working at the hospital for a year without a kobo as salary or allowance,” she said.
Speaking on the arrest of the suspect, the spokesperson of the Kano police command, ASP Magaji Musa Majia, said the suspect recruited the women under the Amana Community Initiative in September 2013.
“It was through it that he deceived a large number of women, issued them with a fake identification card and certificate of training and pledged to secure employment for them at the state Ministry of Health.
“He went to the extent of posting them to various state-owned health facilities within the metropolis. The suspect collected various sums from the victims to the tune of N691, 400,” he said.
ASP Majia said investigation on the matter is still in progress.