Officials of the Ministry of Interior and its departments and agencies have long been notorious for job racketeering, charging huge sums from desperate Nigerians to be given slots in the Immigrations Service, Federal Fire Service, National Security and Defence Corps, Nigeria Corrrectional Service; but one of them, a Deputy Superintendent of the Federal Fire Service, has run into trouble for the decades long aberration run by what is said to be a powerful cabal.
According to sources in the Ministry, which cited the 2014 recruitment scandal that led to stampedes and deaths in different locations in the country, ” the cabal operates up to the highest levels in MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies).
“It is not an uncommon sight to arrive offices and duty posts all around the country and find new faces when there was no recruitment exercise. Many staff who left us or are dead are replaced on a monthly basis and we all know it,” a source volunteered.
“Our past ministers, permanent Secretaries, and directors and heads of para-military agencies cannot feign ignorance of these developments. We all know it in this place. All government officials in all ministries and government parastatals know it because it happens everywhere. It is the one that is caught that suffers. I think we have tens of thousands of such staff in the federal service,” he added.
Everyday.ng gathered that it is only a proper and forensic audit that can fish out those who paid between N150,000 and N500,000 for the jobs. Some are said to have paid much more, without counting those top public officers and federal legislators got jobs for.
But for Augustine Abah, the Federal fire official, he has been docked by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), over allegations bordering on fraud and employment racketeering.
ICPC in a Charge No: CR/283/2023, brought before Honourable Justice F.A. Aliyu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 57, sitting in Apo, Abuja, accused the defendant of defrauding an unsuspecting job seeker to the tune of Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N600,000).
In a statement by Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, the spokesperson, ICPC, in a 2-count charge, the Commission through its counsel, Mr. Mashkur Salisu, told the Court that the accused person fraudulently induced his victim into parting with the said sum of money in the guise of securing employment for the victim in the Federal Fire Service.
His action is contrary to Section 8(i)(a) and punishable under Section 8(i)(b)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Act.
When the accused person was admitted to take his plea, he entered a “not guilty” plea.
The defense counsel, Mr. G.E. Ejekela, via a “Motion on Notice” thereafter moved a bail application on behalf of his client.
In the application which was supported by a 6-paragraph affidavit, the defense lawyer sought the relief of the Court to grant his client bail in the most liberal of conditions, stating that the accused person was willing to attend his trial.
Although the bail application was not opposed by ICPC counsel, he, however, urged the Court to impose conditions that will compel the defendant to attend his trial.
The trial judge after listening to both parties, admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) and a surety in like sum, who must be a civil servant on grade level 12 and above.
Hon. Justice Aliyu also ordered that the surety should submit his Appointment and Promotion Letters to the Court for sighting.
The matter was adjourned to the 13th of July 2023 for hearing.