The Federal Capital Territory Excessive Court docket sitting in Jabi, Abuja, has convicted and sentenced a former legislative aide and banker, Mr. Goni Yilkan, to eight years’ imprisonment over a N120.5 million employment rip-off involving acquiring cash by false pretence.
Justice F. E. Messiri handed the judgment, in line with an announcement issued by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) on Tuesday.
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC prosecuted the case towards Yilkan, who hails from Nguru, Yobe State, with the courtroom discovering him responsible on a two-count cost of acquiring cash by false pretence, opposite to Part 1(1)(a) of the Advance Charge Fraud and Different Associated Offences Act, 2006, and punishable beneath Part 1(3) of the identical Act.
What Transpired in Court docket
In keeping with the assertion, the defendant was arraigned alongside Mohammed Adamu in October 2023, following investigations right into a petitioner’s claims of being defrauded by the convict.
- The petitioner accused Yilkan of deceiving her between 2020 and 2021 into believing that he had the capability to safe employment slots in authorities businesses such because the Federal Inland Income Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Niger Delta Improvement Fee (NDDC).
“On this power, the petitioner collected various sums of cash from over 60 jobseekers, amounting to N120,580,550.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, 5 Hundred and Eighty Thousand, 5 Hundred and Fifty Naira), which she allegedly remitted to the convict,” the assertion partly reads.
- The Fee added, nonetheless, that the purported employment gives by no means materialised, prompting Bello to petition the EFCC.
One of many fees learn:
“That you just, Mohammed Goni Yilkan, Mohammed Adamu, and others at giant between third January 2020 and December 2021 in Abuja, inside the jurisdiction of the Excessive Court docket of the Federal Capital Territory, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N120,580,550 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, 5 Hundred and Eighty Thousand, 5 Hundred and Fifty Naira) from Mrs. Hindatu Bello beneath the false pretence that you just had the capability to safe jobs for her candidates in numerous Ministries, Departments, and Companies of the Federal Authorities of Nigeria, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby dedicated an offence opposite to Part 1(1)(a) of the Advance Charge Fraud and Different Associated Offences Act, 2006 and punishable beneath Part 1(3) of the identical Act.”
The defendant denied the allegations, paving the best way for trial.
The EFCC’s authorized group maintained that he collected the sum of N120.5 million from determined job seekers beneath the guise of providing them employment slots.
- The defendant was accused of neither providing them the roles nor returning their cash.
- On the trial, the prosecution, led by Cosmas Ugwu, referred to as six witnesses and tendered documentary proof, whereas the defence, led by J.A. Oguche, offered two witnesses to dispute EFCC’s claims, together with Yilkan.
What the Decide Mentioned
In his judgment, Justice Messiri held that “the prosecution had proved its case past an affordable doubt.”
The choose convicted Yilkan however discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, Adamu.
The choose additional sentenced Yilkan to eight years’ imprisonment with out an possibility of tremendous.
