THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of two National Assembly employees, Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Adam Goni, for defrauding unsuspecting job seekers of ₦4.8 million in a fake employment scheme involving the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
In a statement posted on X, the ICPC revealed that the convictions followed petitions by the victims, Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, who accused the defendants and an accomplice still at large of promising them job placements at the CBN for ₦4 million each.
The victims reportedly paid ₦3 million into a Zenith Bank account belonging to the first defendant and later transferred another ₦300,000 each for supposed medical screening through an Access Bank account.
Following investigations, the ICPC arraigned the duo before Justice B.M. Bassi of the FCT High Court, Asokoro, on five counts of conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence.
The prosecution, led by Fatima Abdullahi Bardi, told the court that the defendants forged employment letters purportedly issued by the CBN and FIRS to deceive their victims.
The offences violated sections 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code.
However, under Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the convicts entered into a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of making false statements under Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Justice Bassi subsequently sentenced them to pay a fine of ₦100,000 each after refunding the entire ₦4.8 million to the ICPC recovery account.