The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Sani Lawal, for employment fraud after he entered into a plea bargain agreement with the anti-graft agency.
The conviction was affirmed by Justice A.A. Bawale of Katsina State High Court No. 3, who found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to pay a fine of ₦100,000 in accordance with the terms of the plea bargain adopted by the court.
During the proceedings, counsel to the ICPC, Haruna Hedima, told the court that Lawal, sometime in 2024, fraudulently obtained ₦920,000 from two complainants under the false pretence of securing employment for them in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The prosecution stated that the defendant was initially arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on employment fraud.
However, the court entered conviction on two counts in line with the plea bargain agreement reached between the prosecution and the defence.
The offences, according to the Commission, contravened Section 25(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and are punishable under Section 25(1)(b) of the same Act.
Justice Bawale subsequently adopted the plea bargain as the judgment of the court and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
The ICPC described the conviction as a demonstration of its commitment to combating corruption, particularly fraudulent recruitment schemes that prey on unsuspecting job seekers with false promises of employment in government agencies.
The Commission also warned Nigerians against paying money or offering any form of gratification to individuals claiming they can secure government jobs, stressing that recruitment into ministries, departments and agencies follows established procedures.
It urged members of the public to report suspected cases of employment fraud through its official reporting channels, assuring that all offenders would be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
