Court Remands Civil Servants In Prison Over Alleged N14.8m Job Scam

Court-Symbol-of-Justice

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday said a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has remanded two civil servants in Suleja Prison for allegedly defrauding job-seekers of N14.8 million.

The commission said it filed action against the suspects, who were staff of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).

A statement signed by the spokesperson of ICPC named the suspects as Mrs. Grace Nkoyo Nwauzor and Mr. Okorie Tobias Otubaku.

The statement said: “Nwauzor, a Level 12 officer under Career Management Section in OHCSF, who had been on the run from ICPC for several months before she was arrested by the Navy while allegedly trying to defraud some of their personnel and Otubaku, were both arraigned by the Commission before Justice Salisu Garba.

“The duo, who are facing a 10- count-charge allegedly defrauded job-seekers of their monies by offering them non-existent jobs in government ministries, department and agencies in 2012 and 2013.

“ICPC, while arraigning them, told Justice Garba, that Nwauzor collected N2,250,000 in 2013 from one Matthias Billy Ibrahim, who was an intermediary between her and many job-seekers in contravention of Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and punishable under the same section.

“She was alleged to have received N700, 000 from Onyeziligbo Ngozi in 2012 for the purpose of getting employment in a government ministry or department, thereby committing an offence that contravenes Section 10(a) (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.

Otubaku, according to ICPC, fraudulently collected N5, 800, 000 in 2013 from Mathias Billy Ibrahim for the purpose of helping him to secure jobs for ‘his candidates’ in some departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The statement added: “The said money was paid into his Ecobank account, making him to commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”