FCC director jailed 14 years for defrauding job seekers

The State High Court 3 sitting in Gusau, Zamfara has sentenced Alhaji Ahmad Balarabe, serving deputy director of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to 14 years imprisonment by State, for defrauding job seekers of N7million.

Balarabe had earlier been dragged before Justice Bello Shinkafi by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The convict who was first arraigned in September 2018 had pleaded not guilty to two counts of obtaining by pretence.

Mashkur Salisu, ICPC prosecutor, had told the court that Balarabe, while serving as the Coordinator, Sokoto and Zamfara States for FCC in 2017, collected N7m from some job seekers with the promise to get them employment with the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State.

The court was also informed that the said action of the convict was in contravention of section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.

While delivering the judgment, Justice Shinkafi said that the prosecution had proven their case beyond reasonable doubt and that the action of the convict was “despicable and unbecoming of a public servant.”

According to a statement issued by Azuka Ogugua, ICPC spokesperson, titled, ‘ICPC secures conviction of Deputy Director over N7m fraud,’ the court, however, gave the convict an option of N.5m fine.

It stated, “The judge sentenced Ahmad Balarabe to 14 years imprisonment with an option of fine of N500, 000. The judge also ruled that the convict should pay back N7m to the victims of the crime in line with section 11 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.”