The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
has begun investigating a businesswoman, Stella Ezinne Egotanwa, for allegedly
defrauding 21 people of N8.29 million on the pretext of securing jobs for them
at a Psychiatric Hospital in Enugu State.
The commission said the 45-year-old suspect allegedly
collected the money from the victims between December 28, 2025, and June 30,
2026, through accounts belonging to different Point of Sale (POS) agents.
In a statement on its X handle on Tuesday, October 20,
the EFCC said operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC) arrested Egotanwa in Anambra State on July 30, 2026, following a
complaint by 16 individuals. The initial complainants alleged that she
collected ?6.193 million from them after promising to secure jobs at the
hospital, but failed to deliver.
During the investigation, five more people submitted
petitions against her, claiming she defrauded them of N2,098,200 under the same
promise of jobs at the hospital. This brought the number of alleged victims to
21 and the total amount involved to ?8,291,200.
The commission shared the account of one petitioner,
who said he paid N1,050,000 on December 28, 2025, in the belief that the job
offer was genuine. According to him, the promised employment never
materialised, and he later found it difficult to reach her, as she sometimes
ignored his calls and messages.
The EFCC further alleged that Egotanwa is awaiting
trial in another case involving a similar employment scam. It added that she
admitted committing the alleged offence and will be charged to court once
investigations are concluded.
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