A Kwara High Court sitting in Ilorin, on Tuesday, remanded a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara, Mustapha Abdulwasiu, in Mandala correctional facility, over alleged employment scam.
The Judge, Justice Sikiru Oyinloye, gave the order sequel to the prayer of the prosecuting counsel, Mr A. A. Adebayo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The defendant, who lectures in the Accounting Department of the institution, is facing a nine-count charge, bordering on employment scam and obtaining money under false pretence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel alleged that the 36-year-old defendant, had, at different times in 2019, defrauded many job seekers, especially couples.
Adebayo told the court that the defendant committed the fraud under the pretext of helping his victims to secure employment at the polytechnic.
He said that the defendant committed the offences between June and July 2018 at Offa, by fraudulently obtaining N600,000 from one Oluwafemi Amubiaya. The EFCC counsel said that the defendant claimed that he was in charge of employment at the polytechnic.
He said that the defendant obtained the money for the purpose of securing employment for Amubiaya and his wife, Remi. The prosecutor further said that the defendant made a representation which he knew to be false.
According to him, the offence is contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defence counsel, Mr M. O. Balogun, opposed the remand application, and sought for adjournment, to enable the prosecution open its case. Balogun made an oral application for the bail of the defendant on the grounds that “he was just being served with the charge this morning.”
Adebayo, however, refuted the claims, saying that the defendant had been served with the charge since Oct. 14. Oyinloye, after confirming Adebayo’s statement, said that the bail application should be filed, and adjourned hearing in the case until Nov. 7. The court remanded the defendant, pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.