A Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps officer, Mr. Solomon Ogodo, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for forgery, employment fraud, and racketeering.
The judgment was delivered by Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, Abuja, following a case filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Mr. Ogodo was accused of defrauding job seekers of N12,200,000 under the pretense of securing employment for their relatives in the Nigeria Correctional Services. The ICPC charged him in December 2022 in a five-count case.
According to ICPC prosecutor Hamza Sani, Mr. Ogodo forged provisional appointment letters for applicants and collected money from unsuspecting victims.
His actions violated sections of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, the Penal Code Act, and the Advanced Fee Fraud Act of 2006.
Justice Idris sentenced Mr. Ogodo to seven years in prison for the first three counts, without the option of a fine. On the fourth count, he received two months in prison or the option to pay a fine of N5,000. For the fifth count, he was sentenced to two months in prison without the option of a fine.
Additionally, the court ordered Mr. Ogodo to refund all the money he fraudulently collected from his victims, in line with Section 319 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Before sentencing, Mr. Ogodo’s lawyer, A. A. Nwoye, pleaded with the court to consider converting the prison term into community service. However, the prosecution opposed this, urging the court to focus on compensating the victims for their losses.
Justice Idris emphasized the seriousness of the crimes, noting that they undermined public trust in the NSCDC. “The convict must face the consequences of his actions to serve as a deterrent to others,” the judge said.
