By Adekunle Jimoh
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Kwara state High Court sitting in Ilorin on Tuesday remanded a lecturer with the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Ilyas AbdulWasiu for alleged employment scam.
Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also arraigned the lecturer for alleged offence of obtaining money under false pretence.
Mustapha, who is a lecturer in the department of Accounting in the Polytechnic was dragged before the court on a-nine count charge.
EFCC argued that the lecturer had at different times in 2019 defrauded many job seekers, majorly couples under a false pretence of helping them to secure employment at the institution.
The count reads: “That you Mustapha Ilyas Abdulwasiu between June and July 2018 at Offa, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of #600,000.00 (Six hundred thousand naira) from one Amubiaya Raphael Oluwafemi by false pretence that you were in charge of employment at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa and obtained the money for the purpose of securing employment for the said Amubiaya Raphael Oluwafemi and his wife, Amubiaya Remi Janet which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006.
“That you, Mustapha Ilyas Abdulwasiu between December, 2018 and February 2019 at Offa within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of #550,000.00 (Five hundred and fifty thousand naira) from one Mustapha Kabir by false pretence that you were in charge of Employment at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa and you obtained the money for the purpose of securing employment for the said Mustapha Kabir and his wife, Jimoh Ganiyatu which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, No 14 , 2006”
The 36 years lecturer “pleaded not guilty” to the offences.
Prosecuting counsel, A.A Adebayo told the court that “considering the plea of the defendant, we humbly apply for a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case, we also pray your Lordship to remand the accused Person in prison custody, these are my humble application my Lord ”
But defence counsel, M. O Balogun in his response said “we shall not be opposing the application seeking for adjournment to enable the prosecution to open its case, but however, we urge your lordship to allow us making an oral application for the bail of the defendant, on the grounds that I was just been served with the charge this morning”
In his ruling, Justice Sikiru Oyinloye ordered the accused lecturer be remanded in Mandala Prison pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
He also ordered the defence counsel to file the bail application and adjourned the hearing till November 7th, 2019.
