The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of Solomon Ogodo, a Superintendent of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for forgery, employment racketeering, and fraud.
The conviction followed a five-count charge filed against him before Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Jabi, Abuja.
Ogodo was arraigned in December 2022 under charge number CR/503/2022 for defrauding unsuspecting job seekers of N12.2 million by falsely promising them employment in the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).
The ICPC Prosecutor, Hamza Sani, presented evidence showing how Ogodo forged provisional appointment offers for several applicants.
According to the Commission, his actions contravened Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and Section 1 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, among others.
In the court’s judgment, Justice Idris sentenced Ogodo to seven years’ imprisonment on counts 1 to 3 without an option of a fine.
He was also sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with an option of a N5,000 fine on count 4 and an additional two months on count 5 without an option of a fine.
Furthermore, the court upheld the prosecution’s plea under Section 319(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, ordering the convict to restitute the entire sum he fraudulently obtained from his victims.
Earlier, Ogodo’s counsel, A. A. Nwoye, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to consider converting the jail term to community service. However, the court ruled otherwise, prioritizing justice for the victims.
The ICPC’s Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, Demola Bakare, noted that the judgment reinforces the Commission’s commitment to combating corruption and fraudulent practices in Nigeria.
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