29 applicants lose N0.98m to 1 man in NLNG job scam — EFCC

A fake staff of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Lawrence Pepple, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for defrauding 29 people of N0.98million in a job scam.

Pepple was arraigned on a 20-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining money by false presence, before Justice B. O Quadri of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

One of the counts read, “that you, Lawrence Pepple (alias Engr. Mike Warmate) on or about the 27th June 2013, at Port Harcourt, within the Port Harcourt judicial division with intent to defraud obtained N33,000.00 (Thirty-three Thousand Naira) by false pretences from Bestman Dundee under the presence that you will assist him secure a job in Nigeria LNG Limited, the pretext which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offence Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

According to the EFCC, Pepple posed as one Dr. Brown Charles, a manager at NLNG to collect a total of N985,000 from 29 people after promising to get them jobs in the organization.

One of the victims paid Pepple  N145, 000.00 to secure employment for his wife and son.

The victim was so convinced by Pepple's deception that he involved others.

According to a report on the EFCC website, the victim who was taken in by Pepple’s guile, went ahead to recruit 28 other job seeker who paid N30,000 each to the accused in cash and into an account in a new generation bank (totaling N840,000).

Justice Quadri ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter to September 29, 2015 for trial.