Justice Abbas Bawale of Katsina State High Court 3 has sentenced Christopher Oluchukwu, a Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to five years imprisonment for employment fraud. This ruling comes after Oluchukwu was found guilty of defrauding Nigerians seeking employment opportunities for their children.
The conviction stemmed from allegations brought forth by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which accused Oluchukwu of unlawfully collecting a total of N900,000 from three individuals under the false promise of securing jobs within the NSCDC for their children.
During the trial, ICPC’s counsel, Ibrahim Garba, highlighted that Oluchukwu’s actions violated Sections 8, 10, and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Among the charges laid against him was the accusation of obtaining N400,000 from one individual for a job placement within the NSCDC, an act deemed corrupt and punishable under the law.
Justice Bawale, in delivering the verdict, found Oluchukwu guilty on all nine counts and sentenced him to five years imprisonment, with no option for fine. Additionally, the judge declared that the sentences would run concurrently. Despite Oluchukwu’s absence (having jumped bail), the judge ordered the arrest of his sureties for further investigation.