The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the conviction of Mr. Solomon Ogodo, a Superintendent of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for forgery, employment racketeering, and fraud.

Mr. Ogodo was found guilty of defrauding unsuspecting job seekers of a total sum of N12,200,000 under the guise of securing employment opportunities for them in the Nigeria Correctional Services (NCoS).

He was arraigned in December 2022 on a five-count charge before Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi, Abuja.

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According to a statement released by the ICPC’s Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, Mr. Demola Bakare on Tuesday, the convict had forged provisional employment offers to deceive his victims into parting with their money.

The Commission’s prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, provided evidence during the trial showing how Mr. Ogodo carried out these fraudulent activities.

The court found Mr. Ogodo guilty of violating provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, the Penal Code Act, and the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006.

In his ruling on Monday, Justice Idris sentenced Mr. Ogodo to seven years’ imprisonment on counts 1 to 3 without an option of a fine.

On count 4, the convict received a two-month prison sentence or an option of a N5,000 fine, and on count 5, he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment without an option of a fine.

Furthermore, the court ordered Mr. Ogodo to refund the N12,200,000 he fraudulently obtained from his victims, in line with Section 319(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

During the sentencing, Mr. A. A. Nwoye, counsel for the convict, pleaded with the court to consider community service as an alternative to imprisonment.

However, the court upheld the prosecution’s request for restitution and delivered its sentence accordingly.

The ICPC reiterated its commitment to fighting corruption and protecting citizens from fraudulent schemes.

Authorities in Mexico arrested a 31-year-old man on Sunday after he attempted to redirect a domestic flight to the United States, forcing an emergency landing in Guadalajara.

The Volaris Airbus A320 had departed from León, Guanajuato, at 7:17 a.m. local time and was bound for Tijuana.

However, about 45 minutes into the journey, the flight was diverted after the man tried to gain access to the cockpit.

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According to the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection, the man “assaulted a flight attendant and attempted to enter the cockpit to divert the flight to the United States.”

The crew, who managed to subdue the suspect, issued an alert to make an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport.

The man, reportedly traveling with family, was taken into custody upon landing.

In a statement, Volaris said the suspect claimed to have been acting under duress.

“The aggressor told them a close relative had been kidnapped and, upon taking off from León, was threatened to be killed if he went to Tijuana,” the airline said.

Authorities have not disclosed how many passengers were on board.

The flight resumed its journey to Tijuana after the incident, arriving without further complications.

The Enugu State Police Command has dismantled a notorious interstate criminal syndicate involved in armed robbery and financial fraud.

The operation, described as a major breakthrough, led to the arrest of eight suspects, including a dismissed soldier, and the recovery of weapons, cash, and stolen items.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed the development in a statement on Saturday.

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He noted that the joint operation, involving the Emene Division, Crack and Octopus Tactical Squads, and the Neighbourhood Watch Group, was initiated following a distress call on November 12, 2024.

“This was achieved through coordinated operations involving the Emene Division, Crack, and Octopus Tactical Squads, alongside the Neighbourhood Watch Group, which led to the arrest of eight male suspects and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, cash, and other stolen items,” DSP Ndukwe said.

The police operation began in the early hours of November 12, 2024, after officers responded to a distress call regarding an armed robbery at an estate in Emene, Enugu.

During the operation, one suspect, 23-year-old Ismaila Isah, was apprehended with a locally made pistol, ₦300,450 in cash, and stolen items.

Following Isah’s arrest, further investigations led to the capture of additional members of the syndicate.

“Ismaila was later transferred to the Crack Tactical Squad for further investigation. His confessional statements and subsequent discreet investigations led to the arrest of Sadik Ahmed, Abbas Usman, Mubarak Garba, Abubakar Haruna, and Abubakar Sani at their hideouts in New Garriki, Awkunanaw, Enugu,” the statement revealed.

In a related development, two other suspects, Obiri Chukwuebuka and Bright Omeniru, were arrested in Owerri, Imo State.

“Operatives from the Octopus Tactical Squad utilised an intelligence report and arrested Obiri Chukwuebuka and Bright Omeniru in Owerri, Imo State.

During interrogation, they admitted to using phones stolen by the syndicate to fraudulently withdraw funds from victims’ bank accounts,” Ndukwe added.

The operation also yielded a large cache of stolen items. Among the recovered items were:.Two locally made pistols (one with a live cartridge and another with an expended cartridge), ₦300,450 in cash, 10 laptops, 10 mobile phones, land documents, jewellery, watches, an MP3 player, headphones, four power banks, two SIM cards, bags, and footwear.

The suspects have confessed to committing multiple armed robberies within the Enugu metropolis and using stolen SIM cards to conduct fraudulent bank transactions.

“Investigations revealed that the suspects confessed to committing multiple armed robberies within the Enugu metropolis and exploited victims’ SIM cards to commit fraud,” said Ndukwe.

The dismissed soldier, Sadik Ahmed, allegedly used his military training to evade police checkpoints and transport stolen goods across state borders.

“Sadik Ahmed, the dismissed soldier, admitted to using his security background to bypass police checkpoints while trafficking stolen items across the state,” the statement read.

The suspects are expected to be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations. DSP Ndukwe expressed the police command’s commitment to tackling crime in the state, highlighting the importance of community collaboration.

“The operation demonstrates our commitment to tackling crime in the state, and we commend the efforts of our officers and the Neighbourhood Watch Group in ensuring the success of this operation,” Ndukwe concluded.