NSCDC officer sentenced to 7 years for ₦12.2m job scam

By Adanna Nnaman, Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of Mr Solomon Ogodo, a Superintendent of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for forgery, employment racketeering, and fraud.

According to a statement from the ICPC on Tuesday, the Commission had in December 2022 arraigned Mr Ogodo in charge no: CR/503/2022 before Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Jabi, Abuja, for defrauding unsuspecting job seekers of ₦12,200,000.

In the five-count charge, the Commission told the court how the convict, on different occasions, deceived members of the public into parting with money under the guise of securing employment for their relatives in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

“ICPC’s prosecutor in the case, Mr Hamza Sani, led evidence before the court on how Mr Ogodo forged provisional appointment offers for some applicants into the Nigerian Correctional Service.

“His actions contravene Section 13 and are punishable under Section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, as well as Section 363, punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act. The actions also violate and are punishable under Section 1 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.”

Shortly before sentencing, counsel to Mr Ogodo, Mr A.A. Nwoye, who held brief for Mr Osita O. Eze, urged the court to consider converting the jail term to community service.

The prosecution counsel, on the other hand, requested the court to invoke Section 319(1)(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to mandate the convict to pay full compensation to his victims.

In his judgment, Justice M.S. Idris sentenced Mr Ogodo to seven years’ imprisonment on counts 1 to 3, without an option of fine. For count 4, the convict received two months’ imprisonment or the option of a fine of ₦5,000. On count 5, he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

The court also upheld the prosecution’s submission under Section 319(1) of the ACJA, ordering the convict to restitute all the funds he collected from his victims during his illegal activities.