The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has gotten a court to find Christopher Oluchukwu, a Commandant from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, guilty of deceiving people who wanted jobs for their children and taking their money.
According to a statement on the ICPC website, Oluchukwu was found to be guilty of all nine charges at Katsina State High Court 3.
The accusations say that he received a total of N900,000 from three different people by falsely promising to get them jobs at NSCDC.
The statement said, “In the case filed by ICPC at the Katsina State High Court 3, the convict was accused of receiving the sum of N200,000:00, N300,000:00 and N400,000:00 respectively, from three individuals under the pretext of securing jobs for their children with the NSCDC.
“The victims reported the matter to ICPC after the convict failed to get the job and refused to give back their money.”
During the trial, ICPC's lawyer, Ibrahim Garba, in a 9-counts charge told the court how the convict's actions break Sections 8,10 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
One of the charges said, “That you Christopher Oluchukwu Ugwubujo on or about 25th and 28th day of November 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Court while being a public officer with the NSCDC conferred a corrupt advantage upon yourself by obtaining a total sum of four hundred thousand naira (N400, 000. 00) from one for a job placement for her daughter into NSCDC and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
In his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Abbas Bawale reportedly found Oluchukwu guilty on all nine charges and gave him a five-year prison sentence without the option of paying a fine.
“Similarly, the trial judge announced that the sentences were to run at the same time. He also said that even though the defendant was not in custody (he jumped bail), his sureties should be arrested and kept in custody for further investigation,” the statement added.
PUNCH Online reported in January, the Nigeria Customs Service arrested Abdul-Rahman Ibrahim, who is in his fifties, for fraudulent activities and pretending to be the Comptroller-General of Customs and other high-ranking government officials.
The suspect fraudulently tricked many unsuspecting citizens into giving him money for ‘job appointment letters,’ and took over N1 million from them.
