How NSCDC official defrauded 9 job seekers of N2.7m

A Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) officer, Nkechinyere Adesegun, told an FCT High Court in Kubwa that her colleague, Ngozi Oboh, allegedly defrauded nine job seekers of N2.7 million.

Adesegun was led in evidence by the Prosecution Counsel, Suleiman Abdulkareem.

The defendant is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Crimes Commission (ICPC) on a one-count charge of fraud contrary to Section (1)(1) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Related Offences.

“The defendant called me on the phone to arrange a meeting in the office car park. When I got there, she opened the pigeon hole of her car and showed me some appointment letters from the Nigerian Correctional Service(NCoS),

saying it belonged to people she secured employment for.

“So I told her that my brother, Lawrence Okafor, was interested and she said the letter costs N300,000. I asked about its authenticity and she assured me that it was genuine.

“The defendant told me the employees were going for training in Lagos State and would be briefed at the Prisons Headquarters so my brother transferred the money to my account and I sent it to the defendant.

“We did not receive any phone call regarding the training, then the defendant told my brother to buy shorts, a canvas and proceed to the training school.

“The defendant gave my brother his appointment letter and he showed some of his friends, who indicate interest,” she said.

Adesegun said the defendant asked Okafor’s friends to pay money.

“Okafor’s friends paid their money into my account and I transferred same to the defendant’s account.

“When my brother arrived Lagos for training, he called to inform me that his employment letter was different from others so I asked him to leave Lagos before he gets arrested.

“My brother’s friends started threatening me to pay them back their money and I took them to the defendant’s house.

“The defendant wrote an agreement with them saying she would pay the money on or at the end of August 2015, but she did not,” she said.

She said she reported the matter to NSCDC and the defendant paid N100,000 out of N2.7 million which she collected from nine job seekers.

The witness said her husband decided to report the matter to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS) and the defendant paid N170,000 only.

She added that one of the job seekers, Akachukwu, reported her to the police and she was arrested because of the defendant and later granted bail.

The witness identified the employment letter given to her brother in court and the undertaking written by the defendant to pay back.

Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya adjourned the case until December 6 for continuation of testimony.