NSCDC nabs eight suspects over illegal JAMB registration, vandalism

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Cross River State has arrested four suspects for alleged involvement in illegal registration for Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination and extorting prospective candidates.

It also paraded four suspects for vandalising transformer cables belonging to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) in Calabar.

While parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters on Thursday, the commandant, Mr. Danjuma Elisha, told newsmen that the suspects were arrested between January 23 and 24 in Calabar.

Elisha said following the irregularities occasioned by the registration and complaints by candidates, the NSCDC was contacted to move in and restore sanity in the registration process.

According to him, investigation revealed that the suspects were selling e-pin for N5,000 to candidates as against the N4,000 recognised by JAMB.His words, “JAMB is not happy with the development and we were asked to swing into action and restore sanity. The Cross River coordinator of JAMB wrote to us and pointed out some areas where we can operate on.

“We went into action and arrested one suspect at the former JAMB office at 100 Marian Road in Calabar. His arrest led to the arrest of others. We discovered that these suspects were collecting above the stipulated amount recognised by JAMB and, sadly, they were not authorised to do any JAMB business.”

The suspects, he said, were also involved in fake racketeering of regularisation of admission for candidates and collecting N12,000 instead of N10,000.He added, “The suspects collected over N15,000 from one of the candidates who could not even get any admission thereafter. All these irregularities made the JAMB coordinator to raise the alarm which led to their arrest.”

On the arrest of the vandals, Elisha said that the suspects were arrested for involvement in illegal light connection and vandalism of cables belonging to PHEDC.He explained that items recovered from the suspects include ladder and hand gloves, reiterating the command’s commitment to curb all forms of illegal conduct and irregularities within the state.