Factory worker arraigned over alleged NCS job scam in Ibadan

Etim Effiong 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned a factory worker, one Emmanuel Adeyemi Olukoya at the Federal High Court, Ibadan for allegedly obtaining money under false pretence. 

Olukoya, who claimed to be working in a Chinese firm, is arraigned on 30 counts bordering on obtaining under false pretenses before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the FHC, Ibadan. 

A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, noted that Olukoya was accused of obtaining under false pretense, contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable by Section 1 (3) of the same Act. 

One of the charges read: “That you, Olukoya Emmanuel Adeyemi ‘m’, on or about the 26th day of April 2019 in Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N77,000.00 from one Ajiboye Adeniye Hammeed through your Access Bank Account Number 0728344783, under the false pretense that you have given him employment with the Nigeria Customs Service, and that the payment was for the Customs job replacement and training kit. 

“A pretext, which you knew to be false, and you deceitfully made it, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable by Section 1 (3) of the same Act.” 

The defendant, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all the charges brought against him. 

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Chidi Okoli applied for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service. 

But counsel to the defendant, Peniela Akintujoyen, in a motion he moved, prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail, an application that was opposed by the prosecution counsel. 

After listening to the arguments of both counsel, Justice Abdulmalik remanded the defendant in Agodi Custodial Centre and adjourned the case till March 31, 2021, for trial and ruling on the defendant’s bail application. 

Uwujaren said that trouble started for Olukoya, when a petition was received by the Commission, alleging that sometimes in 2019, he obtained several sums from unsuspecting victims on the pretext that he had secured employment slots for them with the Nigeria Customs Service and extorted over N1 million from his victims.