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Court finds former aide guilty of defrauding over 60 jobseekers
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EFCC says fake slots sold in FIRS, CBN, NDDC
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Judge convicts after evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Jabi has sentenced a former legislative aide and banker, Mr Goni Yilkan, to eight years in prison for orchestrating a ₦120.58 million employment scam that targeted desperate jobseekers.
Justice F.E. Messiri, delivering judgment on Tuesday, convicted Yilkan on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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According to the EFCC, Yilkan, working with Mr Mohammed Adamu and others still at large, duped Mrs Hindatu Bello and over 60 jobseekers between January 2020 and December 2021. He allegedly promised them slots in government agencies including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Investigators said Bello alone raised ₦120,580,550 from victims and handed it over to Yilkan, believing his promises. None of the jobs materialised.
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During trial, the EFCC called six witnesses and tendered documentary evidence against him. The judge ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Messiri sentenced Yilkan to eight years’ imprisonment without an option of fine, while his co-defendant, Adamu, was discharged and acquitted.
The ruling comes as the EFCC intensifies its clampdown on fraudsters. Earlier this week, its Ilorin Zonal Directorate announced the arrest of 28 suspected internet fraudsters in Kwara State.
