KWARA: Court Rejects Bail Application Of Fake Chief Medical Director Swindling Job Seekers

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has dismissed a bail application filed by an alleged fake Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Chidiebere C. Ndigwe, over his alleged involvement in employment scams.

The suspect was arraigned before Justice Adenike Akinpelu by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge.

Ndigwe had allegedly defrauded some job seekers while claiming to be the CMD of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

One Rukayat J. Yusuf had petitioned the Commission, alleging that Ndigwe with other persons at large advertised the job slots on Facebook.

According to her, degree holders were asked to pay the sum of N400k, while holders of National Diploma were made to pay N200k for non-existent jobs, among others.

Ndigwe pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Count two of the charge reads, “That you Chidiebere Cyril Ndigwe and others still at large, between 11th April 2023 and 25th April 2023, at Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of Six Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira from Mrs Rukayat Joke Yusuf through Nkechi Nkwegu Onwoshi United Bank of Africa Account Number 2298797088 under the false pretence that the money was for the cost of jobs for graduates, Ordinary National Diploma, and National Certificate of Education holders, a pretence which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

Ndigwe had applied for bail but the prosecuting counsel, Mustapha Kaigama, filed a 32-paragraph affidavit to oppose the application.

He told the court that the defendant did not have a verifiable address to warrant his bail.

Kaigama also disclosed that it took the Commission twenty-three days of surveillance to arrest the suspect in Ebonyi State.

Justice Akinpelu, in his ruling, said the defendant failed to provide enough evidence to persuade the court to admit him to bail.

He adjourned the matter to a later date to be communicated to all the counsels.