NSCDC rescues 42 victims held hostage by syndicate promising fake jobs
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Cross River State Command, rescued 42 young men and women who were lured with promises of non-existent jobs in South Africa, Malaysia, and Ivory Coast. The victims, aged 22 to 36, were held hostage in a secret five-bedroom facility in Calabar. The rescue operation occurred on August 14 and 15, 2026, during a raid on an "indoctrination and holding camp" run by a transnational fraud syndicate. State NSCDC Commandant Okarazu Chima stated that the syndicate operated as a multi-level networking company, tricking job seekers into paying millions of naira for "international document and visa processing." Once payments were made, the foreign job narrative was abandoned, and victims were indoctrinated into an illegal pyramid scheme, coerced to recruit additional victims to recover their funds. The commandant noted that victims were told they would be selling jewelry, but no physical products were ever seen. Operatives arrested the prime cell leader, Timothy Bayi, on August 15. Among the 42 individuals, there were 28 Nigerian males, six Nigerian females, five Cameroonians, and three Beninoise, with eight foreign nationals found without valid travel documents. The NSCDC is collaborating with the Nigeria Immigration Service to profile the undocumented foreign nationals and warned against get-rich-quick schemes.
