Court convicts NSCDC officer over employment scam

A High Court of Katsina State has convicted Christopher Oluchukwu Ugwubujo, an officer with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over his involvement in employment scam.

The officer conviction followed a case instituted against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before the Katsina State High Court 3.

The NSCDC Commandant was accused of receiving 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 Corps.

The victims had reported the matter to ICPC after the convict failed to procure the promised jobs and also refused to refund the various sums of money he collected from them.

During the trial, counsel to ICPC, Ibrahim Garba, who filed a 9-count charge against Ugwubujo, told the court how the action of the convict negated Sections 8,10 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

One of the counts read; “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) for a job placement 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.”

A statement by Demola Bakare, Acting Director, Public Enlightenment and Education of the NSCDC, said that the Court presided over by Justice Abbas Bawale held that Christopher Oluchukwu Ugwubujo was guilty of all the 9 counts.

Accordingly, the Court sentenced Ugwubujo to five years imprisonment without option of fine.

Justice Bawale ruled that the sentences were to run concurrently just as he declared that since the defendant was at large (jumped bail), his sureties should be arrested and kept in custody for further investigation.