Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, found the duo guilty of defrauding two victims under the pretense of offering them employment at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
According to ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare, who issued a statement on Wednesday, the case originated from a petition filed by the victims, Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar. The petition alleged that the defendants, along with another suspect currently at large, collected ₦4.8 million from the victims to facilitate fake job offers.
Investigations revealed that Mohammed had introduced himself as a National Assembly staff member with alleged links at the CBN and FIRS. He demanded ₦4 million each from the complainants, assuring them that their appointment letters would be released by April 27, 2021. The victims subsequently transferred ₦3 million into a Zenith Bank account belonging to one of the defendants and later paid an additional ₦300,000 each for a fake medical screening into another Access Bank account.
Following investigations, the ICPC arraigned the suspects on five counts of conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and the Penal Code.
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 charge of making false statements, contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
As part of the plea agreement, they refunded the ₦4.8 million to the ICPC Recovery Account and were each fined ₦100,000.
The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to promoting accountability and integrity in public service while warning Nigerians to be wary of fraudulent job offers and to verify such claims through official channels.
