A Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Sani Lawal, has been convicted by the Katsina State High Court for defrauding two job seekers of ₦920,000 under the false promise of securing employment in the Corps.
According to an official statement signed by the Head of Media and Public Communications of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), J. Okor Odey, the conviction followed a plea bargain agreement between the prosecution and the defence, which was affirmed by Justice A.A. Bawale of Katsina State High Court No. 3.
The statement said the court found Lawal guilty and sentenced him to pay a fine of ₦100,000 after adopting the terms of the plea bargain as its judgment.
It explained that during the proceedings, counsel to the ICPC, Haruna Hedima, told the court that the defendant, sometime in 2024, corruptly obtained a total of ₦920,000 from two complainants by falsely claiming he could secure employment for them in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Although Lawal was initially arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on employment fraud, the court entered conviction on two counts in accordance with the plea bargain agreement reached by both parties.
The offences, the statement noted, contravene Section 25(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and are punishable under Section 25(1)(b) of the same Act.
The Commission described the conviction as a demonstration of its resolve to combat corruption and fraudulent recruitment schemes that prey on unsuspecting members of the public.
ICPC also cautioned Nigerians against paying money to individuals claiming they can facilitate employment into government ministries, departments, and agencies, stressing that recruitment into the public service follows established procedures and is not obtained through unofficial payments.
The anti-corruption agency reaffirmed its commitment to investigating and prosecuting individuals involved in corrupt practices and urged members of the public to report cases of employment fraud through its established reporting channels.
