Court Jails Civil Defence Officer Seven Years Over N12million Scam
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) had in December 2022 arraigned Ogodo before the court in charge No: CR/503/2022 for defrauding unsuspecting job seekers the sum of N12,200,000.
Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has sentenced a Superintendent of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Solomon Ogodo, to seven imprisonment for his involvement in forgery, employment racketeering and fraud to the tune of N12.2million.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) had in December 2022 arraigned Ogodo before the court in charge No: CR/503/2022 for defrauding unsuspecting job seekers the sum of N12,200,000.
In the 5-count charge, the ICPC told the court how Ogodo, on different occasions, hoodwinked some members of the public into parting with different sums of money in the guise of securing employment opportunities for their relatives in the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).
The ICPC’s prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, had in the course of the trial led evidence before the court on how Ogodo forged offers of provisional appointments for some applicants into the NCoS.
The ICPC told the court that Ogodo’s actions are contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, and contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act.
The Commission further said that his actions also violated and are punishable under Section 1 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offence Act of 2006.
Shortly before the jail sentence was passed on Monday, Counsel to Ogodo, Mr. A. A Nwoye, who held brief for Mr. Osita O. Eze, urged the court to convert the jail term to community service for the convict.
But the prosecution counsel also asked the court to take cognizance of section 319 (1) a of the Administration of Criminal Justice ACT (ACJA) 2015 to mandate the convict to pay compensation of all the sum collected to the victims of his action.
In his ruling, Justice Idris sentenced Ogodo to seven years imprisonment on count 1 to 3 without option of fine and two-months’ imprisonment or option of fine of N5000 on count 4.
The court also sentenced Ogodo to two months imprisonment on count 5 of the charge without option of fine.
The court also agreed with the submission of the prosecution brought under section 319 (1) of ACJA by ordering the convict to restitute all he received from his victims in the course of his illegal action.
