Nigerian security forces say they have arrested a suspected internet fraudster accused of stealing nearly $6m (£3.5m) from people who thought they were paying to apply for civil service jobs.

Emmanuel Okeh, a spokesman for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps said that the suspect, Michael Ogun, 44, is accused of using Facebook and other websites that appear to represent government agencies, including customs, immigration and security. The pages urged applicants to pay small fees to apply online for jobs.



Okeh said the scam is one of many in Nigeria that are specifically designed to extract small sums from Nigeria's unemployed. Conservative estimates put Nigeria's unemployment rate at about 24 per cent in a nation of more than 160 million people.



Nigerian security forces say they never recruit online.

AP