The High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja has remanded two Federal Government staff allegedly obtaining over N12 million from members of the public with promise to secure jobs for them.
They were identified as Joy Ndubuisi, a staff member of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Godwin Takat of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
Both civil servants were arraigned before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) over allegations bordering on obtaining under false pretense and employment racketeering.
The ICPC in a charge N0. CR/243/2024, brought before Justice C.O. Oba with allegations that the accused defrauded unsuspecting job seekers to the tune of over N12 million.
ICPC, in a 9-count charge, accused the defendants of jointly obtaining the said amount from their victims by false pretence.
Their actions, according to the Counsel to the ICPC, Nura Saidu contravened section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, Section18 (d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and section 363 of the Penal Code Act, 1990.
One of the counts reads “that you Godwin Sabo Takat (M) between January and June 2018 or thereabouts at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja whilst being a Staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing with intent to defraud did induce by false pretense Ndubuisi Joy Chineme to confer a benefit on you by paying the sum of (N4,530,000.00K) Four Million, Five Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira only in your First Bank account for securing employment for unsuspecting job seekers in the Federal Civil Service and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (2) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
After the counts were read to their hearing, the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the 9-count charges.
