Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court
sitting in Ilorin has dismissed a bail application filed by a fake Chief
Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Chidiebere
Cyril Ndigwe over his involvement in alleged employment scam and obtaining money under false pretence.
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC had dragged Ndigwe to court on a two-count charge of allegedly
defrauding some job seekers by presenting himself to be the Chief Medical
Director of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
The petitioner alleged that Ndigwe with other persons who are
still at large, made claims on Facebook on sale of employment slots. According
to her, candidates who are degree holders were asked to pay the sum of N400,000
(Four Hundred Thousand Naira) only while holders of National Diploma were made
to pay N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) only for job slots.
It was alleged that the defendant had obtained about
N18,000,000( (Eighteen Million Naira) from job seekers before it was
discovered that the employment offers were spurious.
Count two of the charge reads:
“That you Chidiebere Cyril Ndigwe and others still at large,
between 11th April 2023 and 25th April 2023, at Ilorin, within the jurisdiction
of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of Six
Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira from Mrs Rukayat Joke Yusuf through Nkechi
Nkwegu Onwoshi United Bank of Africa Account Number 2298797088 under the false
pretence that the money was for the cost of jobs for graduates, Ordinary
National Diploma, and National Certificate of Education holders, a pretense
which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section
1 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and
Punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to
him.
Based on his plea, Prosecuting counsel, Mustapha Kaigama filed a 32- paragraph affidavit to oppose the bail application of the defendant.
He told the court that the defendant did not have a verifiable address within the jurisdiction or elsewhere to warrant his bail.
He also
disclosed that it took the Commission 23 ( twenty-three) days to mount
surveillance for his arrest in Ebonyi State.
However, defence counsel, C.I Chime prayed the court to
admit his client to bail, notwithstanding the submissions of the prosecution
counsel.
Justice Akinpelu in his ruling said the defendant failed to provide enough evidence to persuade the court to admit him to bail. He adjourned the matter to a later date to be communicated to all the counsels.
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