The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has successfully prosecuted and secured the conviction of two officials from the National Assembly for orchestrating a sophisticated job scam that defrauded citizens of millions of Naira.
The Deceptive Scheme and Arrest
Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Goni, the convicted officials, deceived job seekers by falsely promising them employment at prestigious government institutions. The fraud came to light after the victims, Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, filed a formal petition detailing how they were swindled.
Investigations by the ICPC revealed that Mustapha Mohammed presented himself as a National Assembly staffer with influential connections inside the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). He allegedly demanded the sum of N4 million from each complainant, guaranteeing that their appointment letters would be ready by April 27, 2021.
How the Fraud Was Executed
The victims, believing the promises were genuine, proceeded to make payments. An initial deposit of N3 million was made into a Zenith Bank account controlled by one of the defendants. Later, each victim paid an additional N300,000 into an Access Bank account, which was described as a mandatory medical screening fee for the non-existent jobs.
To make their scheme appear legitimate, the defendants provided their victims with forged employment letters. These documents were crafted to look like they were officially issued by the CBN and FIRS, a fact presented in court by the prosecution counsel, Fatima Bardi.
Court Proceedings and Final Judgment
The case was presided over by Justice B.M. Bassi at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. The ICPC had initially charged the duo with five counts, including conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretense.
However, leveraging the provisions of Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which permits plea bargaining, the defendants opted for a plea agreement. They pleaded guilty to an amended charge of making false statements, contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
As a central part of their sentencing agreement, the convicts were mandated to refund the entire N4.8 million to the ICPC Recovery Account. Furthermore, the court imposed a fine of N100,000 on each of them.
The ICPC, through its spokesperson Demola Bakare, has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to rooting out corruption and promoting integrity within Nigeria's public service. The commission also issued a strong warning to the public to be extremely vigilant against fraudulent job offers and to always verify any employment opportunity through official government channels before making any form of payment.
