Nigerian Army Officer Accused Of Collecting Money From Recruit Seekers Exposed

*I sent N170,000 to him for my son -Father alleges

By Our Correspondent

A father of an applicant seeking for recruitment into the Nigerian army has alleged that he parted with N170,000, to a Nigerian army who promised to help his son to be recruited into the army.

The applicant’s father who gave his son’s name as Haruna Peter Joshua also disclosed that Capt. Yakubu later demanded for N70,000 more, but he declined, on condition that Yakubu failed to fulfill his earlier promised to put his son in depot immediately he paid the initial N170,000.

Narrating the ugly trend to our correspondent on phone, Mr. Haruna explained that he paid the money into an account bearing Simon John Adaji, sent to him by Capt. Yakubu for the recruitment of his son Haruna Peter Joshua into army depot in Zaria in 2024.

According to Haruna, the son has traveled to Zaria more than four times but yet to be recruited into the Nigeria army as promised by Capt. Yakubu.

Although Capt. Yakubu has denied knowing Simon John Adaji, the holder of the bank account number sent to Mr. Haruna, the father of the applicant, when our reporter contacted him on phone.

Capt. Yakubu however cut off his call few second after our reporter introduced himself as journalist, and refused to pick calls put to him subsequently for further clarification on other allegations.

But Mr. Haruna insisted that he’s keeping in his custody, SMS of Simon John Adaji’s Zenith Bank Account number 2080721594, sent to him by Capt. Yakubu as evidence.

Details interview and conversation with Capt. Yakubu as well as Mr. Haruna read in parts: “Do you know Simon John Adaji? (Journalist). Who’s Simon Adaji? (Capt. Yakubu). You don’t know him? (Journalist). I don’t know him (Capt. Yakubu).

OK, there’s an allegation against you Capt. Yakubu that ‘you wanted to help the family of one Mr. Haruna to get their son Peter Haruna, into recruit in Nigeria Arny (Journalist). Yakubu immediately cut off the call on hearing the allegation leveled against him from our correspondent and could neither picked his calls nor respond to messages.

Earlier, the victim’s father, Mr. Haruna, had complained to a Human Right Activist, Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, that he paid N170,000 to one Captain Yakubu, to help his son get into Nigeria army through recruitment in Zaria.

The Activist also told our correspondent that there are some other applicants complaining of paying over N300,000, but could got be recruited into the Nigeria army same period.

Mr. Haruna further said “I sent the money through POS to one Simon John Adaji bank account number. The Captain send the account number to me. I told him you send me another name with of another person for the account number”, he stated.

When informed that Capt. Yakubu denied knowing Simon Adaji, Mr. Haruna expressed shocked and asked: “Yakubu said he don’t know Simon Adaji, and he denied?

Mr. Haruna further expressed shocked and asked: “How can he deny. Capt. Yakubu send the account number to me. How I get to know Captain Yakubu. My son Peter, work for someone, a big man in Abuja. My house and his Oga house near each other.

“They call him Igwe, his is in Abuja. He has company where my son is working. My son apply for the recruitment but did not get it. The big man call me and say his own son is in Air Force and is a friend of your son.

“Send your son to them, let them give you the phone number of my friend (Capt. Yakubu), we leave together for Maiduguri, Maimalali barrack, but now in Zamfara. During recruit he comes to Kaduna. He’s helping people. Send your son to them from Abuja to Kaduna”, Mr. Haruna said.

Mr. Haruna who’s fluent in English continue, “I Carry transport give my son, he go there, meet him. He collect NIM number from my son. The Oga son, Daniel who is the friend of my son Peter, give me his number (Capt. Yakubu). I call him and introduce myself. I say son of Igwe send me your number. I told him my problem, my son like soldier.

“He said OK I’ll him, send his details to me. Inform my son who went their give his NIM number to Capt. Yakubu. He call me and we agree. I’m talking about the people currently in recruitment training now in Zaria.

“He send an account number to me, and said send me the money this night, your son go enter depot immediately. I said how much, he say N170,000. Around 5:30-6pm, I go and send the money. After I send the money I waited, I call me son if he has enter depot he say no.

“I call the next day Yakubu no pick. After two days i call again, he say we get problem. They put eyes on us, “Kaza, kaza, kaza”, so,so and so on. I call him and say why are u doing like this. In our talk he promise that around this time he’ll help put my son in depot as recruit.

“I say why doing like this. You say I should give u money, and up till now you no recruit him. I don’t know you, somebody give me your number. Daniel, friend of my son give me Yakubu number”, Mr Haruna lamented.

Mr. Haruna told our reporter that Daniel is a friend of the son of the big man in Abuja, who own the company was working.

Mr. Haruna also said he has been living in Borno state for years, but an indigene of Adamawa state. I’m above 20 years now in Borno, we’re neighbor with Borno.

“My son bear Peter Haruna Joshua. Haruna Peter Joshua. This boy go Zaria four times, he did not enter depot. I said go school and read but he say baba I like soldier.

“This thing happens in the month they recruit the people in training now in depot. The last time we discuss Capt. Yakubu said I should send N70,000 for a form, but i say no, I cannot send. I know I’ll give u money. The one you ask to give you to recruit my son has not been done.
“I said if you recruits this boy now, I can give you even more than N70,000 because I’ll be happy that you recruit my son. If not I’ll not send N70, 000 to u, even kobo. Since then we no speak again. I’m a police man”, Mr. Haruna narrated.

Also contacted through call and SMS, the spokesman of army depot Zaria Major Ochienta promised to get back but never did until press time.