N8m Job Scam: Appeal Court Confirms FCC Director’s 14 Years Jail Term

For defrauding some job seekers to the tune of eight million Naira (N8m), the Court of Appeal, Sokoto division has upheld the 14-year jail sentence slammed on a Deputy Director of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Alhaji Ahmed Balarabe, by a Zamfara State High Court.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had charged Balarabe before Justice Bello Shinkafi of the Zamfara State High Court on two counts of obtaining money by false pretence.

The ICPC informed the court how Balarabe, while serving as the FCC’s Coordinator in Zamfara and Sokoto States between 2017 and 2018, collected over N8 million from unsuspecting job seekers with the promise of giving them jobs, thereby contravening section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006.

In his ruling, Justice Shinkafi has sentenced  Balarabe to 14 years imprisonment with an option of N500,000 fine. The Court also ruled that the convict should pay back N7 million to the victims of the crime.

However, dissatisfied with the judgment, the convict approached the appellate court to quash the trial court’s ruling.

But in a statement issued on Tuesday, the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, said; ”While his (Balarabe) counsel, Mr. A. Y. Abubakar argued that the court should dismiss the judgment, ICPC counsel, Mashkur Salisu, submitted the conviction was in line with the provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006 violated by convict.

The statement further said; “Having listened to the argument from the two counsels, the court unanimously dismissed the appeal on the grounds of lack of merit and affirmed the decision of the trial court.”