3 civil servants jailed 6 years each for payroll fraud

An FCT high court on Wednesday sentenced three civil servants to six years imprisonment each for payroll fraud.

The convicts are Justin Itemoagbo, Dayo Aliyu, and Sylvanus Ojeifo.

A fourth officer, Dayang Jacob, was discharged and acquitted.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dragged them to court on a 32-count charge of criminal conspiracy, theft, and cheating by impersonation.

Delivering judgement, Justice Peter Kekemeke sentenced them after going through their evidence and that of the prosecution.

“In totality, the evidence of the 1st, 2nd,2,nd and 3rd defendants collapsed like a pack of cards.

”I therefore find the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants guilty as charged.

”The fourth defendant is found not guilty. He is accordingly discharged and acquitted.

All the defendant’s counsel pleaded for leniency and urged the court to tamper with justice with mercy and give the convicts the option of a fine.

Responding, the prosecution submitted that the sentencing is left at the discretion of the court.

The judge held that the plea of all the defendants counsel was moving and that the prosecution relied on the discretion of the court.

”The defendants are all approaching 60 years of age. They are old. They have been out of work for 8 years.

”I shall have mercy on them; God does not require the death of a sinner, but that all should come unto repentance.

”In count 1, the three defendants are sentenced to 2 years imprisonment or the option of N500 each.”.

In counts 2 to 23, they are to serve another two years on each count, or a N1 million fine.

Counts 24, 25, and 26 are against the first defendant; he is sentenced to one year imprisonment without the option of a fine in each count.

The second defendant is sentenced to one year in counts 27, 29, 30, and 31, respectively, without the option of a fine.

For count 32, the three defendants were sentenced to a year in prison or a N500,000 fine.

The prosecution said they do not know the exact amount of federal government money that was paid as salaries to the defendants.

” In the circumstance, this court cannot order a refund of federal government money paid as salaries. ”

The defendants were arraigned in court for payroll fraud they committed between 2012 and 2015.

They were accused of smuggling about 15 names of either deceased workers or retired ones and collecting their salaries every month.

The first defendant worked with the human resources department of the Federal Ministry of Works, while the second defendant worked with the help desk officers in the office of the accountant general of the Federation.

The third defendant worked at the nominal roll and manpower budget office of the Federal Ministry of Works.