EFCC Arraigns Woman for N21.4m Employment Scam

Matilda Omonaiye/

A woman held over N21, 450, 000 employment fraud has been arraigned today at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama.

Lilian Bisi Kadiri was arraigned, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before Justice Adebukola Banjoko on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.

Lilian allegedly at various times collected a total sum of N21,450,000 from her victim in the guise that she was going to help secure jobs for his relatives. She, however, failed to help secure any job and did not refund the money collected.

The count reads in part: “That you, Lilian Bisi Kadiri, between May 2014 and March 2015 within the Abuja judicial division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory obtained the sum of N21,450,000 (Twenty One Million Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from one Christopher Aneke, which was paid into your SkyeBank account under the false pretence that you are capable of securing employment for his relatives, which pretence you knew to be false and you hereby committed an offence contrary to Section(1)(a)of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act (2006) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act 2006.”

She pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.

In view of her plea, prosecuting counsel, Yetunde Alabi, prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison and to fix a date for the commencement of trial.

Justice Banjoko, thereafter, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N20 million and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be resident in Abuja with landed properties and must show proof of employment in Abuja and three years tax clearance.

The case has been adjourned till March 25, 2019, for trial, and the defendant remanded in Kuje Prison pending fulfilment of the bail conditions.