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Police, immigration officers jailed seven years for employment fraud
Police, immigration officers jailed seven years for employment fraud
A federal high court in Gombe has sentenced two police officers and an immigration operative to seven years in prison over N1.6 million employment fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Yusuf Abdulkarim Bature and Musa Philip—the police officers—on a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretences and intent to defraud, and Nasiru Mohammed—the immigration personnel—on a one-count charge of obtaining by false pretences.
“That you, Yusuf Abdulkarim Bature and Musa Philip, while being public officers with the Nigerian Police Force, sometime in 2022 in Gombe, within the Gombe Judicial division at the Federal High Court of Justice did with intent to defraud falsely obtained from one Asabe Hamed the total sum of nine hundred and seventy thousand naira for the purpose of securing a job, a claim you knew to be false,” the charge sheet reads.
“That you, Nasiru Mohammed, sometime in 2022 in Gombe, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being a staff of the Nigerian Immigration Service, did falsely obtained the sum of Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira (N670,000) from Abdul Rahman Abubakar and Akwalo Adamu under the false pretence of securing them a job with the Nigerian Immigration Service, which you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
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The three defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
After the guilty pleas, Tortema Joshua, the prosecution counsel, asked the court to convict and sentence the defendants in line with the law.
Babangida Mohammed and K.K. Jomoh, counsels to the three defendants, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
In his judgment, T.G. Ringing, the presiding judge, convicted and sentenced Bature, Philip, and Mohammed to seven years imprisonment apiece or a fine of N50,000 each.
The judge ordered the defendants to pay restitution of N1,640,000 to the petitioners and sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour.
Police, immigration officers jailed seven years for employment fraud
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Nigeria ranks 4th among Africa’s most improved visa friendly nations
Nigeria ranks 4th among Africa’s most improved visa friendly nations
Nigeria has been ranked as the fourth most improved visa-friendly African country over the past eight years, as travel between African nations becomes more accessible due to ongoing reforms in visa policies across the continent.
The most recent “Africa Visa Openness Index” shows that between 2016 and 2024, 39 countries have enhanced their visa scores, highlighting the continued relaxation of travel restrictions across the continent.
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Five countries have shown the most significant improvements, Benin has risen to the top spot (from 31st to 1st), followed by Ethiopia (from 46th to 19th), and Sierra Leone (from 32nd to 13th).
Nigeria ranks 4th among Africa’s most improved visa friendly nations
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‘How I collected $400,000 for Emefiele as his aide’
‘How I collected $400,000 for Emefiele as his aide’
Mr John Adetola, a former Personal Assistant (PA) to Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has narrated how he collected the sum of $400,000 on behalf of his former boss.
Adetola revealed this while giving evidence before an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday as the seventh prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Emefiele over alleged abuse and $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud, while in office.
The former CBN Governor is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omoile.
Omoile, on his part, is facing three-count charge bordering on unlawful acceptance of gifts by agents.
At the resumed hearing, Adetola, through his counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), told the court that he managed office correspondences and visitors of the governor in Lagos.
He said his duty gave him direct access to Emefiele.
Adetola said sometime in February 2023, he received an invite from EFCC and was interviewed on his relationship with Emefiele.
He said, “I made a voluntary statement at EFCC office.
“In 2018, Mr Eric Odoh, the personal assistant to the governor in Abuja, sent a message to me that I should go and meet Mr John Ayoh, the former director of ICT department to collect $400,000 and give it to the governor.
“I went to Mr Ayoh’s house in Lekki and he gave me the envelope.
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“I came back to the office and gave the envelope to the governor.”
Adetola further told the court that he informed EFCC about the money during his interrogation.
The witness, also confirmed that he communicated with Emefiele through telephone, email, office line and verbal communication whenever he was around.
He also confirmed to the court that he knew one George and Okanta who were Emefiele’s younger brothers and the governor’s wife, Margaret, by virtue of his relationship with his boss.
Adetola also confirmed to the court that Omoile (his co-defendant) lived in Emefiele’s house in Lagos.
The witness also identified bundles of documents which were official communication between him and the ex-governor.
He also identified documents showing his communication with Ayoh (former director of ICT department) and Odoh (personal assistant to the governor in Abuja).
The prosecution sought to tender the bundles of documents for identification purpose.
Emefiele’s counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN) did not object.
But Omoile’s counsel, Mr Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), objected and argued that the documents had no basis in law.
According to Kotoye, a document not tendered as an exhibit, should not be tendered at all.
Oyedepo, in his response, argued that the documents were relevant and would prove essential ingredients of the offences.
“The documents are for the purpose of identification,” he said.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, admitted the bundles of documents for identification purpose, after considering the parties submissions.
Oshodi adjourned the case until Dec. 10 for cross-examination of the witness.
‘How I collected $400,000 for Emefiele as his aide’
(NAN)
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