Alleged job racketeering: Court remands Civil Defence official

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the remand of a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) official, Mrs Tosin Olagunju, in Suleja Correctional Centre pending the hearing of her bail application scheduled for Oct. 9.

Justice Binta Nyako gave the order after Olagunju was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on false pretence with intent to defraud job seekers, criminal conspiracy, among others.

She was alleged to have, among others, obtained N12. 4 million from job seekers under false pretence, with the promise that she had the capacity to secure them employment in the NSCDC.

She, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police is the complainant, Olagunju is the sole defendant in the charge marked:; FHC/ABJ/CR/183/2024.

Shortly after she took her plea, prosecuting lawyer, Princewill Eke, applied for a date for the commencement of trial.

Olagunju’s lawyer, M. A. Oloniruka, told the court that he had just filed a bail application prior to the commencement of sitting.

Upon being told by the judge that the application was not in the court’s file and therefore was not ripe for hearing, Oloniruka sought to apply orally for his client’s bail.

Justice Nyako equally rejected the defence lawyer’s request to be allowed to apply orally for bail.

The judge said that the court being a court of record, all applications must be formal and in writing.

“This matter is adjourned till Oct. 9 for trial. The defendant should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre,” Justice Nyako declared.

In count one, Olagunju was said to have, sometime between the 2010 to 2023, obtained by false pretense and with intent to defraud Nigerians, the sum of N12,400,000.00 in the pretense that she had the capacity of securing them employment with the NSCDC and thereby defrauded them.

The offence is punishable under Section 1(1)(c) of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, among other counts.(NAN)

By Taiye Agbaje