Two civil servants in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mrs. Grace Nkoyo Nwauzor and Mr. Okorie Tobias Otubaku, have been remanded in Suleja Prisons by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, High Court for allegedly defrauding job-seekers of N14.8 million.
Nwauzor, a Level 12 officer under Career Management Section in OHCSF, who had been on the run from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for several months before she was arrested by the Navy while allegedly trying to defraud some of their personnel and Otubaku, were both arraigned by the Commission before Justice Salisu Garba.
The duo who are facing a ten count-charge were claimed to have defrauded job- seekers of their monies by offering them non-existent jobs in government ministries, department and agencies in 2012 and 2013.
ICPC, while arraigning them, told Justice Garba, that Nwauzor collected N2, 250, 000 in 2013 from one Matthias Billy Ibrahim, who was an intermediary between her and many job-seekers in contravention of Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and punishable under the same section.
She was alleged to have received N700, 000 from Onyeziligbo Ngozi in 2012 for the purpose of getting employment in a government ministry or department, thereby committing an offence that contravenes Section 10(a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
The Commission further told the court that Mr. Otubaku on his part, fraudulently collected N5, 800, 000 in 2013 from Mathias Billy Ibrahim for the purpose of helping him to secure jobs for ‘his candidates’ in some departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
The said money was paid into his Ecobank account, making him to commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Part of the charge sheet reads, “Nwauzor, being a staff of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation did corruptly receive the total sum of N2, 250, 000 as benefit for yourself from Mathias Billy Ibrahim, through your Zenith Bank account, on account of favour to be afterwards shown to him by securing job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 10 (a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
‘Otubaku, while serving as a staff in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation cheated Mathias Billy Ibrahim, by deceiving him fraudulently to deliver to you the total sum of N5, 800, 000 through your Ecobank account on your promise that you will secure a job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government which he would not do if he were not so deceived. Which caused him loss of his money, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89.”
The duo pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to them and were not admitted to bail. Justice Garba in his ruling ordered them to be remanded in Suleja Prisons till 1st November, 2016 pending the hearing of their bail applications.