The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a serving Deputy Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Service, Abubakar Sani, for an alleged employment scam.
The EFCC made this known via a series of tweets on Friday, November 27, 2020.
The anti-graft agency said Sani was arraigned before Justice Hadiza Sabi’u Shagari of the Federal High Court in Katsina on six counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretense.
EFCC said the defendant allegedly “used his position as an officer of the Katsina Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (as it then was) and obtained a total sum of N2,850,000 from some persons under the guise of helping them secure employment into the Prison Service.
“Upon receipt of the complaints against the Officer, the Commission swung into action by inviting him but the defendant was evasive until August 26, 2020, when he finally reported.
“After questioning, he was granted administrative bail on self recognizance which he later abused and absconded.
“Consequently, his arraignment was twice adjourned due to his absence in court.
“On Wednesday, November 11, 2020, operatives of the Commission tracked and arrested him in Abuja after which he was moved to the Kano Office of the Commission.”
The charge against the defendant read that you, “Abubakar Mohammed Sani while being Deputy Comptroller of the Nigerian Prison Service (now Nigerian Correctional Service) on or about 20 December, 2012 in Katsina within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N305,000 which you caused to be deposited into your UBA account number 20302***** under the pretense of securing a job for Umar Himma, Surajo Ibrahim and Abubakar Gambo in the Nigerian Prison Service now (Nigerian Correctional Service) which pretense you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(1)(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006”.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Usman Shehu, requested the court for a trial date.
But the defense counsel, G. U. Jafaru applied to move a motion for bail on behalf of the defendant.
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