By Akpan Udo-Inyang
CALABAR -The Cross River State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),has rescued and apprehended a total of forty-two (42) individuals within the ages of 22 and 36 years after raiding a secretive five-bedroom facility used by syndicates as an indoctrination and holding camp in Calabar, the state capital.
This was disclosed in a statement made available by the State Commandant of NSCDC ,CC Okarazu Chima Eke.
Eke, said also that the Intelligence Department of his Command has successfully dismantled a major criminal network operating under the deceptive guise of a multi-level networking company.
The Commandant, who said that it is line with their statutory mandate to protect the citizens from all forms of economic sabotage and to maintain internal security, revealed further that “Between Friday, the 14th of August, and Saturday, the 15th of August, 2026, our operatives conducted a highly coordinated, intelligence-led raid on a secretive five-bedroom facility used by the syndicate.
” Furthermore, on the night of August 15th, our operatives tracked down and arrested the prime cell leader of this illegal operation, one Timothy Bayi, a native of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State” the Commandant further disclosed.
He described the level of deceit employed by this syndicate as alarming as” They prey on the desperation of our youth by advertising non-existent foreign job opportunities in countries like South Africa, Malaysia, and the Ivory Coast. ”
The Commandant, further revealed that” Once a victim takes the bait, they are lured to this five-bedroom facility in Calabar and deceived into paying millions of Naira into a dedicated account under the false pretense of international document and visa processing.”
He added that” Once the money is paid, the foreign job narrative is instantly abandoned. The victims are then held at the facility, heavily indoctrinated, and forced into an illegal, multi-layered marketing pyramid scheme. ”
” They are coerced to recruit at least two additional victims to have any hope of recovering their stolen funds” explaining that “They claim to sell “biodics and jewelry,” yet not a single victim we interviewed has ever seen a physical product. It is all a phantom enterprise built on visual representations on websites and mobile phones.”
” This is not just a local scam; it has alarming transnational dimensions” he also said disclosing that “Out of the 42 individuals in our custody today, we have Twenty-eight (28) Nigerian males (comprising both victims and accomplices, Six (6) Nigerian females, Five (5) Cameroonian nationals and three (3) Beninoise nationals”
He feared that “all eight of these foreign nationals were found within our borders without any valid international travel documents,” disclosing further that “The arrested cell leader, Timothy Bayi, has alluded to a direct affiliation with a major service compliance and logistics company headquartered in Lagos.”
“Let me state categorically that we are currently verifying the nature, and extent of this claim. We will pull this network up by its roots, no matter how deep or highly placed their corporate sponsors may be” he also maintained.
He stated that “This criminal network is highly compartmentalized to shield the identities of its top bosses, but the NSCDC is determined to unmask them all. We are also working closely with the Nigeria Immigration Service to properly profile the undocumented foreign nationals in our custody.”
The Commandant,sounded a very strong note of warning to the public, especially parents and job-seeking youths that “There is no shortcut to wealth. Be extremely wary of unverified “get-rich-quick” schemes, pyramid marketing structures, and individuals demanding millions of Naira upfront for foreign jobs.
“To criminal syndicates who think they can use Cross River State as a safe haven for human trafficking and economic fraud, be warned, Eke also stated adding that “The NSCDC, under the leadership of our Commandant General, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, possesses the intelligence capabilities to track you, expose you, and ensure you face the full wrath of the law.