By John Ogunsemore
A staff of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Elvis Simon Okerenyi has been sentenced to one year in prison for defrauding a job seeker of ₦1 million under the pretense of securing him a federal civil service job.
Justice S. C. Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) convicted and sentenced the defendant after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) filed charges bordering on forgery and giving fake employment to a job-seeker against him.
The ICPC said its investigation revealed that Okerenyi had allegedly defrauded a job seeker, Titus Tavershima, of the sum of N1 million to secure employment in the federal civil service.
The commission said the act is contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, 2006.
ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare disclosed that the defendant entered into a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution, following which the initial seven-count charge preferred against him was amended to a count charge.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge upon his arraignment based on the plea bargain agreement before Justice Oriji.
The defendant was convicted pursuant to Section 270(10) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) on the only charge in the amended charge.
The court further sentenced the convict to one year imprisonment or an option of a fine of N200,000 and ordered him to restitute the sum of N350,000 to the victim of his crime.
