The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of two National Assembly officials, Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Goni, for defrauding job seekers of N4.8 million under the guise of securing them employment.
Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja found the duo guilty of defrauding two victims by falsely claiming they could secure jobs for them at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare said the conviction followed a petition filed by the victims, identified as Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar.
The statement read, “The petition detailed how the defendants, in collaboration with another suspect currently at large, collected N4.8 million to facilitate fake job offers. Investigations revealed that Mustapha Mohammed introduced himself as a National Assembly staff member with close connections at the CBN and FIRS. He demanded N4 million each from the complainants, assuring them that their appointment letters would be released by April 27, 2021.”
According to the ICPC, the victims paid N3 million into a Zenith Bank account belonging to one of the defendants and were later asked to pay an additional N300,000 each for a supposed medical screening, which they deposited into another Access Bank account.
Following investigations, the ICPC arraigned the suspects on five counts bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and the Penal Code.
The prosecution counsel, Fatima Bardi, told the court that the defendants forged employment letters purportedly issued by the CBN and FIRS to deceive their victims.
However, under Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which allows plea bargaining, the defendants pleaded guilty to an amended one count of making false statements, contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
As part of the plea agreement, the duo refunded the entire N4.8 million to the ICPC Recovery Account and were each fined N100,000.
The ICPC reiterated its commitment to promoting accountability and integrity in public service and warned Nigerians to be wary of fraudulent job offers, urging them to verify such claims through official government channels.
