Two staff members of the National Assembly have been convicted by a court in Abuja after defrauding job seekers of ₦4.8 million through a fake employment scheme involving the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The conviction of Tijjani Adam Goni and Mustapha Mohammed follows an investigation initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The case was brought after victims, including Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, filed a petition alleging that one of the defendants claimed he could secure them employment at the CBN for ₦4 million each, promising appointment letters in April 2021. Investigations revealed that the victims paid millions into accounts linked to the scam, including payments for purported “medical screening.”
The defendants were initially arraigned on a five-count charge encompassing advance fee fraud, forgery, and conspiracy. The charges specifically detailed the forging of employment letters, one dated June 28, 2021, purportedly from the CBN, and another dated June 11, 2021, allegedly from the FIRS.
In a key development, the defendants opted for a plea bargain under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. They subsequently pleaded guilty to a lesser, amended charge of making false statements, which is contrary to the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Crucially, as part of the deal, they agreed to refund the full defrauded sum of ₦4.8 million to the ICPC Recovery Account.
Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court convicted the two staff members and sentenced each of them to pay a fine of ₦100,000, confirming the successful refund of the money to the victims.
This job scam, perpetrated by individuals working within the legislative arm of government and targeting federal financial institutions like the CBN and FIRS, underscores a persistent economic threat to Nigeria: the erosion of public trust and the high cost of corruption.
Cases like this discourage legitimate job seekers and entrepreneurs, fostering a belief that high-level employment is only achievable through illicit means and bribes rather than merit. This fundamentally undermines the development of a competitive, skill-based economy. Furthermore, the FIRS and CBN are vital to Nigeria’s economic stability—one manages monetary policy and reserves, and the other collects tax revenue. A scam involving the fraudulent sale of jobs at these institutions signals deep corruption, potentially scaring away much-needed foreign investment by confirming perceptions of institutional risk and lack of integrity in the public service.
ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare confirmed the outcome, highlighting the commission’s commitment to pursuing and recovering funds obtained through fraudulent means, regardless of the perpetrators’ position within the government structure.
