The trial of two ministries’ staff, Joy Ndubuisi Chineme, a staff member of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Godwin Tabo Sakat of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, over alleged N12 million job racketeering has commenced before Justice C.O. Oba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had first arraigned the duo in a nine-count charge in July 2024.

At the commencement of trial on Monday, January 13, 2025, the prosecution counsel, Suleiman Abdulkareem, brought before the court, Adah Ojoma, an Assistant Director in ICPC and first prosecution witness in the case.

Ojoma told the court that a petition against the first defendant was received on March 4, 2022, which led to an investigation by the ICPC.

According to her, in the course of investigation, “the team first discovered the sum of N300,000 in her (Mrs Chineme’s) bank account and different other amounts totaling over N12 million.”

“She transferred some of the money to her Zenith bank account and some to the second defendant (Mr Sakat),” Ojoma added.

ICPC recovers N52bn, $966,900, intercepts N5.9bn diverted funds

Giving a breakdown, Ojoma said in 2018, the first defendant transferred N3.9 million naira into her Zenith Bank, while in 2019, over N5 million was transferred and then over 2.5 million naira in 2021.

She said N4.3 million was transferred to the second defendant.

She added that in the course of the investigation, a letter of employment that was fake was also discovered.

She stated that upon invitation to the ICPC, the first defendant came and made her statement voluntarily.

However, counsel for the first defendant, E. E. Oga, opposed that the first defendant did not make her statement voluntarily but under duress and therefore prayed the court to allow for a trial within trial.

Reacting, ICPC counsel Abdulkareem said although the statement was not a confession, he was not opposed to the plea by his learned counsel.

During the trial within trial, Ojoma told the court that the first defendant was invited by the ICPC and that after legal procedures were explained to her, she called her husband at one time and her sister at another time to write the statement on her behalf as she could not write properly.

Counsel for the first defendant however moved for an adjournment to enable him bring the defense witness.

The matter was thereafter adjourned till March, 25, 2025, for the continuation of trial.

The Star