NSCDC Rescues 42 Hostage Victims from Job Scam

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Cross River State Command, reported the rescue of 42 young men and women held hostage by a transnational fraud syndicate in Calabar. The victims, aged 22 to 36, were lured with promises of non-existent jobs in South Africa, Malaysia, and Ivory Coast.

They were rescued during a coordinated raid on August 14 and 15, 2026, at an “indoctrination and holding camp.” NSCDC Commandant Okarazu Chima stated that the syndicate operated under the guise of a multi-level networking company, tricking job seekers into paying millions for fraudulent international document and visa processing. Once the money was paid, the victims were indoctrinated and forced into an illegal pyramid scheme.

Eight of the victims were foreign nationals without valid travel documents. The prime cell leader, Timothy Bayi, was arrested, and the NSCDC is working with the Nigeria Immigration Service to profile the undocumented individuals.

Chima warned against get-rich-quick schemes and those demanding large sums for foreign jobs.