The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has successfully secured the conviction of two National Assembly officials, Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Goni, for their involvement in a N4.8 million job scam.
Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja found the duo guilty of defrauding two victims under the guise of securing them employment at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare detailed that the case originated from a petition filed by the victims, identified as Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar.
Bakare explained that the petition detailed how the defendants, “in collaboration with another suspect currently at large, collected N4.8m to facilitate fake job offers.”
Investigations by the ICPC revealed the modus operandi used to deceive the victims. Bakare stated: “Investigations revealed that Mustapha Mohammed introduced himself as a National Assembly staff member with close connections at the CBN and FIRS. He demanded N4m each from the complainants, assuring them that their appointment letters would be released by April 27, 2021.”
The petitioners were initially lured into depositing funds: “The petitioners later deposited N3m into a Zenith Bank account belonging to one of the defendants and were subsequently asked to pay an additional N300,000 each for purported medical screening, which was paid into another Access Bank account.”
The ICPC initially arraigned the suspects on five counts, including conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence, which contravened the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and the Penal Code. Prosecution counsel, Fatima Bardi, told the court that the defendants had “forged employment letters purportedly issued by the CBN and FIRS to deceive their victims.”
However, the case concluded under a plea agreement. Leveraging Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, the defendants changed their plea, pleading guilty to an amended single count of making false statements, which is contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
As part of the terms of the plea bargain, the officials fully refunded the entire N4.8 million to the ICPC Recovery Account. In addition to the refund, they were each sentenced to a N100,000 fine and subsequently jailed.
The ICPC urged Nigerians to be cautious and to verify any job claims through official government channels to avoid falling victim to similar scams.
