The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched a full-scale investigation into the activities of 32 suspects arrested for alleged involvement in a Ponzi-style investment and employment scam in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Operatives from the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the EFCC apprehended the suspects on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, following weeks of coordinated surveillance across multiple locations in the state.
The suspects — including Miracle Samuel, Christopher Samuel, Yohana Sabo, Ahmed Abdulahi Yarima, Reuben Ezekiel, Terfa Godwin, Zakurs Yakubu, Isah Jaafar Jagaba, Clement Nwakonobi, Rosemary Vifilo Yusuf Ataza, Francis Samuel, and several others — were allegedly operating an elaborate fraudulent network disguised as an employment and investment platform.
Four of the suspects — Ephraim Emmanuel, Kenneth Okonkwo, Jeremiah Emmanuel, and Abdulmajid Barde — are believed to be the coordinators overseeing the various operational cells of the criminal syndicate.
According to the EFCC, the suspects lured unsuspecting victims with promises of lucrative employment opportunities in a fictitious company called Tropicana Oil and Gas Company and high-yield investment offers. Victims were allegedly required to pay registration fees ranging from ₦150,000 to ₦900,000, which were subsequently diverted under false pretenses.
A petitioner recounted how he was deceived by one of the suspects, Mahmud Sufiyan, who invited him to Uyo for a job opportunity at the purported oil firm. Upon arrival, he was instead made to fill a Q-Net form and coerced into making multiple payments. He later discovered that the operation was a pyramid scheme where participants were required to recruit others to earn commissions. “I realized too late that I had been duped. I came for a job in an oil company but ended up in a scheme where I was told to recruit people and sell Q-Net products for $100 weekly — which never happened,” the victim stated in his petition.
Preliminary EFCC investigations revealed that the syndicate had defrauded thousands of victims nationwide, collecting millions of naira under the guise of investment and employment opportunities.
Some of the identified victims and the amounts they reportedly lost include: Abubakar Umar Favour (₦1,000,000), Tanko Kasimu (₦800,000), Abubakar Abdurahman Jimba (₦900,000), Usman Faisu Adamu (₦900,000), Daniel Dorathy (₦1,700,000), and several others.
The EFCC also confirmed that the syndicate operated from multiple locations across Uyo, including Ekom Iman Flyover, Transformer Junction, Abak Road, and Apostolic Lane, Nwaniba.
Items recovered during the operation include 35 mobile phones, two POS machines, three public address systems, and various incriminating documents and digital evidence.
The suspects are currently assisting investigators, and the EFCC has assured that they will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Commission has warned Nigerians to be wary of fraudulent investment schemes promising unrealistic returns or employment opportunities, urging the public to verify the legitimacy of any company or investment entity before committing funds.
