By Abubakar Yunusa
The Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered on Wednesday the remand of a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) official, Tosin Olagunju, who is facing prosecution for alleged employment fraud.
The judge, Binta Nyako, ordered her to be remanded in the custody of the Suleja Correctional Centre pending the hearing of her bail application scheduled for 9 October.
The judge gave the order after Mrs Olagunju the police arraigned on four counts of obtaining by false pretence with intent to defraud job seekers.
Other charges include criminal conspiracy.
The police accused her of fraudulently obtaining N12.4 million from job seekers under false pretence, promising to help them secure employment in the NSCDC.
She pleaded not guilty to the counts.
The Explainer reports that the office of the Inspector-General of Police filed the charges against Ms Olagunju as the sole defendant in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/183/2024.
Shortly after she took her plea, the prosecuting lawyer, Princewill Eke, applied for a date for the commencement of trial.
However, Ms Olagunju’s lawyer, M. A. Oloniruka, told the court that he had just filed a bail application before the court’s sitting.
Upon being told by the judge that the application was not in the court’s file and could not be heard immediately, Mr Oloniruka sought to apply orally for his client’s bail.
The judge, Mrs Nyako, rejected the defence lawyer’s request to make an oral presentation of his client’s application for bail.
The judge said that the court, being a court of record, lawyers must make applications in writing.
“This matter is adjourned till 9 October for trial. The defendant should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre,” Mrs Nyako declared.
The prosecution alleged in Count 1 that, sometime between 2010 and 2023, Mrs Olagunju obtained, by false pretence and with intent to defraud Nigerians, N12.4 million, pretending to have the capacity to help them secure employment with the NSCDC.
The alleged offences are punishable under Section 1(1)(c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.