By Austin Ogwuda
Justice Abbas Bawale of the Federal High Court Katsina, Nigeria has sentenced a Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, one Christopher Oluchukwu Ugwubujo to five years imprisonment without an option of fine in connection with employment scam.
Incidentally, the convict jumped bail and still at large but the Judge ordered that his sureties who took him on bail be arrested and kept in custody for further investigation.
The convict was found guilty in all the 9-count charge.
One of the charges stated: “That you Christopher Oluchukwu Ugwubujo, on or about 25th and 28th day of November, 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Court while being a public officer with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) conferred corrupt advantage upon yourself by obtaining a total sum of four hundred thousand naira (N400, 000. 00) from one…for a job placement for her daughter into NSCDC and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000″.
Spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Demola Bakare in a press statement made available to newsmen on Thursday said that “During the course of the trial, Counsel to ICPC, Ibrahim Garba had in a nine-counts charge told the court how the action of the convict negates Sections 8,10 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
According to him, in this case filed by the ICPC at the Katsina State High Court 3, the convict was accused of receiving the sum of N200,000:00, N300,000:00 and N400,000:00 respectively from three individuals under the pretext of securing jobs for their children with the NSCDC.
“The victims reported the matter to ICPC after the convict failed to procure the said job and refused to refund their money.