N12.4m Fraud: Court Remands Female NSCDC Officer For Duping Job Seekers

For allegedly obtaining N12.4m from job seekers under false pretence, with the promise that she could secure them employment, a female officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mrs Tosin Olagunju, has been remanded in Suleja prison, Niger State.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja issued the order on Wednesday, even as Mrs Olagunju, who was arraigned on four counts of scamming job seekers, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to her.

With the defendant taking her plea, the prosecuting lawyer, Princewill Eke, applied for a date to commence the trial.

However, the defence lawyer, M. A. Oloniruka, informed the Court of a bail application that was filed shortly before the commencement of sitting. But with the bail application not cited in the file, the court ruled that it not ripe for hearing.

Having been informed of the status of his application, the defence Counsel sought to apply orally for his client’s bail but the presiding judge, Justice Nyako rejected the request, noting that being a Court of record, all applications must be formal and in writing.

Consequently, Justice Nyako ordered that Olagunju be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing of her bail application scheduled for October 9, 2024.

“This matter is adjourned till October 9, 2024 for trial. The defendant should be remanded in Suleja correctional centre,” the Judge ordered

The defendant, Olagunju, who reside at Karu Site, Abuja, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/183/2024, filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police, is accused of the following:

Count one of the charges read: Sometime between 2010 and 2023, you, Tosin Comfort Olagunju, obtained by false pretence and with intent to defraud Nigerians, including Billi Haruna Bwala, the sum of N12,400,000.00 in the pretence that you have the capacity of securing them employment with the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps and thereby defrauding them of N12, 400,000.00 and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(1)© of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

Count two reads: “That you Olagunju Comfort (f) of Karu Site, Abuja, sometime between 2020 and 2023 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire with others to commit an office to wit: criminal conspiracy thereby commit an offence punishable under Section 97(1) of the Panel Code Act, 2004.”

On the third count, the prosecution alleged that between 2020 and 2023, Olagunju “being in any manner entrusted with services of securing employment with Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps for Nigerians and dishonestly convert the sum of N12, 400,000.00 to your own use in violation of the direction of law prescribing the mode in which such trust is to be discharged and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Act 2004.”

Count four reads: “That you, Olagunju Comfort, (F) of Karu Site, Abuja sometime between 2010 and 2023 fraudulently and dishonestly induced some Nigerians to part with the sum of N12,400,000.00 and thereby cheating them of the said sum and causing damage to them and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Act 2004.”