The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Abdulganiyu Jaji, has revealed how five job seekers fraudulently secured placement on the Federal Government payroll using fake appointment letters, decrying the desperate tactics of scammers targeting innocent Nigerians.

Jaji, in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, condemned the rising cases of job racketeering and vowed that those involved in the illicit recruitment schemes would be prosecuted.

He urged Nigerians seeking employment with the Federal Fire Service to follow only the official recruitment channels, which are properly announced through national newspapers and authorised government platforms.

Expressing deep concern over the growing trend, Jaji warned fraudsters against tarnishing the image of the FFS, stressing that the Service has never authorised any third-party agents to handle recruitment exercises.

He emphasised that all recruitment processes are conducted transparently and strictly through recognised government systems.

The FFS boss also warned that anyone caught submitting forged documents in a bid to gain employment would be immediately arrested and prosecuted.

He lamented the damage such illegal activities cause to the Service?s credibility and the emotional and financial suffering inflicted on unsuspecting victims.

He said, ?Let me shock you, the Federal Fire Service, through its vigilant oversight, uncovered five names of desperate job seekers who managed to insert themselves into the IPPIS list without having any original invitation or appointment letters.

?On behalf of the Board, I challenge anyone in possession of a genuine appointment letter who claims to have been unjustly denied the opportunity to come forward with it.?

?The truth is, we were extremely thorough with the entire recruitment process. In fact, we went as far as inviting those individuals who illicitly made it onto the IPPIS platform, and they openly confessed to engaging in underground dealings. Every possible loophole was sealed?we meticulously cross-checked the original master list against both the final documented list and the IPPIS entries.

?Interestingly, when we uncovered and seized several of these fake letters, we made the strategic decision to quietly suspend the documentation process without any public announcement.

?To our surprise, the fraudsters, completely unaware of our move, went ahead and printed even more fake letters. We could only watch and laugh, knowing they had already exposed themselves?, Jaji said.

While reaffirming the service commitment to integrity, Jaji called on the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities. He further assured that genuine opportunities within the agency will always be publicly announced through proper, verifiable channels.

He said: ?Each time we are made aware of the alarming rise in fake recruitment activities being carried out by fraudsters, we take it upon ourselves to promptly alert Nigerians, particularly desperate job seekers, that these fraudulent recruitment claims into the Service are not from us. We strongly warn the public to be cautious and avoid engaging with these scammers who falsely present themselves as representatives of the Federal Fire Service.

?Referring to the recently concluded recruitment exercise, it?s worth recalling that the immediate past Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Ja?afaru Ahmed, issued an official statement urging candidates to check their status on the Board?s portal, cdcfib. Career, on the designated date in December 2024.

?The Board had specifically advised applicants for the Federal Fire Service (FFS) recruitment to visit the portal to confirm their final selection and download their invitation letters directly.?

?Having made this clear, anyone claiming to have been invited for documentation but whose name does not appear on the official master list has, without a doubt, fallen victim to scammers.

?It is disheartening that, despite repeated warnings, some job seekers continue to willingly fall into the hands of fraudsters who go as far as creating fake websites, selling bogus recruitment forms, and extorting large sums of money under the guise of processing employment.

?We have consistently emphasised?through the CDCFIB?that the entire recruitment process into the four paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior is completely free, with no payments required at any stage.

?As a matter of fact, several fake invitation letters, SMS messages, and emails were intercepted. Shockingly, even after the new Secretary of the Board assumed office, some individuals still showed up with forged letters falsely bearing the name of the former Secretary.

?It is truly disheartening that job seekers who willingly engage with individuals who call, send suspicious links via text messages, and even request payments through provided account details, later turn around to petition the Service when things go wrong.

?The Federal Fire Service, under my watch, is built on a foundation of hard-earned integrity, and we will do everything necessary to safeguard that reputation. On this note, I appeal to those with genuine complaints to support our efforts by submitting the account details, names, and phone numbers of those involved for immediate and decisive action.? (The Nation)

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