The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two men, Ibrahim Suleiman Umar and Tijani Adam Goni, before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, over alleged involvement in a N4.8 million employment scam and forgery of official documents.
The duo were docked before Justice B.M. Bassi on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, and forgery.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences were committed in June 2021 when they conspired to defraud unsuspecting job seekers by promising them employment at top federal institutions.
Prosecutors told the court that the accused persons fraudulently obtained the sum of N4.8 million from two victims, Saifdeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, under the guise of securing jobs for them at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The suspects also allegedly presented fake employment letters and a document titled “Final Document List” as evidence of their claims.
One of the counts specifically accused Umar and Goni of conspiring to obtain the said sum with intent to defraud, in contravention of Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. Their actions also violated Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code, which deal with offences of forgery.
When the charges were read in court, both defendants pleaded guilty to all five counts. Justice Bassi thereafter ordered their remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending further hearing on the matter. The case was adjourned to October 29, 2025, for continuation of proceedings.
ICPC further disclosed that investigations into the matter revealed a third accomplice, identified as Mohammed Mustapha, who is currently at large. The Commission said efforts are ongoing to apprehend him and ensure he faces trial alongside the two defendants.
The anti-graft agency reassured members of the public that it would continue to clamp down on fraudsters exploiting the desperation of job seekers, warning Nigerians to be cautious of employment offers outside official recruitment channels of government institutions.
PR: Adamu Yusuf
