Court remands 2 ministries’ officials over N12m job racketeering

A High Court sitting in Abuja has remanded the duo of Ndubuisi Joy Cheneme, a staff member of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Godwin Sabo Takat of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing over allegations bordering on obtaining by false pretence and employment racketeering.

The court remanded the duo following their arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

The defendants were accused of defrauding unsuspecting job seekers to the tune of over N12 million.

The ICPC, in a nine-count charge, accused the defendants of jointly obtaining the amount from their victims by false pretence.

Their actions, according to the ICPC counsel, Nura Saidu, contravened section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, Section18 (d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and section 363 of the Penal Code Act, 1990.

One of the counts read: “That you Godwin Sabo Takat (M) between January and June 2018 or thereabouts at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja whilst being a Staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing with intent to defraud did induce by false pretence Ndubuisi Joy Chineme to confer a benefit on you by paying the sum of N4,530,000 only in your First Bank account for securing employment for unsuspecting job seekers in the Federal Civil Service and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (2) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

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After the counts were read to their hearing, the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the nine-count charges.

Following the pleas, the presiding judge, Justice C.O. Oba, asked the ICPC counsel if they were ready for the trial proceeding, but the prosecuting counsel requested the court to adjourn the case to allow for adequate preparation for the hearing commencement, to which the defence counsel did not oppose.

The defence counsels, E.E. Ogar and I.O. Nweze, filed separate bail applications and pleaded with the judge to admit their clients to bail on very liberal terms pending trials.

Saidu did not object to the bail applications made by the defence counsels.

Justice Oba, thereafter, admitted the defendants to bail at N2 million with two sureties for each of them, who (each of the sureties) must have N20 million in their accounts and two landed properties in Abuja, to be verified by the court.

He ordered that the defendants be remanded in Suleja and Kuje Correctional Centres. pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.

The judge, therefore, adjourned the case till January 13, 2025, for the commencement of trial.

The Star