The Zamfara State High Court 3 sitting in Gusau has sentenced a Deputy Director of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Alh. Ahmad Balarabe to 14 years in jail after finding him guilty of employment scam.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) which arraigned Balarabe told the court that he obtained a total of N7 million from different job seekers while serving as the Coordinator, Sokoto and Zamfara States for FCC in 2017, with the promise of helping them to secure jobs with the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State.
However, he did not fulfil his promise and failed to refund the monies, the commission said.
The commission through its prosecutor Mashkur Salisu in September 2018 arraigned Balarabe on two counts of obtaining by false pretence.
According to the commission, the offences contravened section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
But the convict pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Delivering his judgement, Justice Bello Shinkafi said that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said that the convict’s action was “despicable and unbecoming of a public servant.”
According to a statement by the ICPC’s spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, the judge proceeded to sentence the convict to 14 years in a correctional facility with option of N500,000.
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“The judge sentenced Ahmad Balarabe to 14 years imprisonment with an option of fine of N500, 000. The judge also ruled that the convict should pay back N7m to the victims of the crime in line with section 11 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015,” the statement read in part.