NSCDC Arrests Man over Alleged Forging of NYSC Call-Up Letter

NSCDC Arrests Man over Alleged Forging of NYSC Call-Up Letter

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the Federal Capital Territory has arrested a 27-year-old man, Joseph Nanmwa Philips, for allegedly impersonating a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) using forged documents.

Philips was paraded on Thursday at the FCT Command headquarters by the Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, who also used the occasion to respond to an online report accusing the command of unlawful detention and extortion.

Odumosu described the publication as misleading and aimed at distorting the facts.

According to the command, the suspect, who hails from Plateau State, was apprehended on February 6, 2026, after allegedly presenting a fake NYSC call-up letter to secure a place of primary assignment at International Model Science Academy in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.

The command said the arrest was made by officers of its Kwali Division following complaints relating to forgery, impersonation and alleged cyber activities linked to the suspect.

Investigators said the suspect had allegedly posed as a corps member for nearly a year before the fraud was uncovered. During questioning, Philips reportedly admitted to forging the call-up letter after the NYSC formally disclaimed him.

He also confessed that although he taught at a school in Kwali, he processed his monthly clearance at Lugbe in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.

Further investigation, according to Odumosu, uncovered additional alleged offences. The suspect was said to have cloned university email addresses and defrauded at least seven parents of about N1.3 million under the pretext of securing admission scholarships at University of Cambridge and organising special lessons for their children.

The NSCDC clarified that a figure of N1.4 million circulating online was not a bribe demanded for the suspect’s release but the amount he was expected to refund to victims of the alleged fraud.

“We are a credible institution with zero tolerance for corruption and no amount of money is charged for bail under any guise,” the command stated.

The corps added that the suspect remains in custody because he has not met his bail conditions and is currently being held under a remand order issued by a Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.

Items recovered from him include an NYSC uniform, a forged call-up letter and a bag containing suspected hard drugs.

The command urged public institutions and private organisations to strengthen their verification procedures, noting that the suspect was able to operate as a corps member for almost a year without detection.

Odumosu also dismissed a separate report alleging that the corps detained a 69-year-old man for 89 days without justification. He said the individual was involved in a criminal breach of trust case involving N217 million and had been charged before the Federal High Court following a valid remand order.

The command attributed the misinformation to a suspect currently on administrative bail, accusing him of attempting to divert attention from an ongoing investigation.

It warned that the corps may pursue legal action against media platforms that publish unverified allegations capable of damaging its reputation.