How ICPC Arraigned Another NSCDC Official Over Alleged Job Scam

Following an alleged bribery and employment scam, an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Nasiru Saleh has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Mr. Saleh according to a post dated June 18, 2019 on the commission’s website at https://icpc.gov.ng shows that Saleh had solicited the sum of 700,000.00 from a man with the promise to help him secure employment for his two children into NSCDC.

Saleh was brought before Justice Asmau Akanbi-Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court sitting in Lugbe, Abuja by the commission on a 4-count charge.

ICPC in a Charge No: CR/279/19 informed the court of how the accused person received the sum of N400,000.00 as part payment for the total sum.

The Commission averred that Mr. Saleh’s action was contrary to and punishable under sections 17 (i)(a), 19 and 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and that if he is found guilty, he shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him.

Agbili Ezenwa Kingsley, ICPC counsel, thereafter asked the court to remand the accused person in prison custody pending the determination of the case in view of the offence and the punishment it carries.

However, counsel to the defendant, Ken Obi Duruzo, by way of a written application and pursuant to sections 158, 162 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, raised a Motion on Notice for an order of the court to grant his client bail. In the application which was supported by a 21-paragraph affidavit, Duruzo sought the relief of the court to be liberal in determining the bail conditions.

Though the prosecution counsel was not opposed to the bail application, nonetheless he urged the court to impose stringent bail conditions, saying that that would compel the defendant to attend his trial.

In a swift reaction, the defense counsel, relying on the provision of section 165 of ACJA, argued that bail was discretionary, and that the prosecution was overstepping its boundary by praying for stringent conditions.

The trial judge in her ruling, having considered the arguments from both sides admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of N2,000,000.00 and two sureties in like sum who must be residents of FCT.

The case has been adjourned to September 19th 2019 for definite hearing.

This is not the first time an officer of the NSCDC will be arraigned or convicted over job scam.

In April this year, an officer of the NSCDC was also arraigned by the ICPC. He was found guilty of collecting money from job seekers with the promise to fix them up in the agency.

The officer was arraigned before Justice Othman Musa of the Federal Capital Territory Court 13 sitting in Bwari, Abuja, on four counts bordering on conferment of corrupt advantage upon self and cheating.

Also, sometime in April this year, another officer of the Corps was remanded in prison custody upon the order of a Nyanya, FCT High Court Judge, Justice Peter Kekemeke over an alledged 150,000 job scam.

In September 2018, two officials of the Corps according to Sahara Reporters were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC before a Kaduna court for defrauding members of the public of the sum N2.75 million on the false promise to secure employment for them in the agency.