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 their involvement in a ₦4.8 million employment scam linked to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the anti-graft agency said the conviction followed a petition by the victims, Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, who alleged that the duo, alongside another suspect now at large, duped them under the pretext of securing jobs at the CBN.
According to the petition, the convicts demanded ₦4 million from each victim for the purported job placements. The complainants initially paid ₦3 million into a Zenith Bank account belonging to one of the defendants, before being asked to pay an additional ₦300,000 each for what the fraudsters described as “medical screening,” which they transferred to an Access Bank account.
The ICPC’s investigation established that the defendants also forged letters of employment purportedly issued by the CBN and FIRS to deceive their victims.
Following the investigation, the accused were arraigned before Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Asokoro on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence.
Prosecution counsel, Fatima Abdullahi Bardi, told the court that the offences contravened 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, both defendants opted for a plea bargain in line with Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 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 convicted the two men accordingly, ordering each to pay a fine of ₦100,000 after they refunded the full ₦4.8 million to the ICPC recovery account.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that public officers and individuals involved in fraudulent schemes face the full weight of the law.
