The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, June 20, 2016 presented it first witness (PW1), Robert Mathew against one Dada Olatunji, a former Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Fire Service who is being tried for offences bordering on employment scam before Justice M. M. Kolo of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.

Olatunji was arraigned on May 19, 2016 for allegedly defrauding two young job seekers - Robert Mathew and Theresa Abah to the tune of N575,000 (five hundred and seventy five thousand naira) under the pretext of getting them employments into the Nigerian Fire Service.

The offence is in contravention of Section 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No.14 of 2006.

Matthew who was led in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Andrew Akoja, told the court how Olatunji used one of his assistants in the office, Christopher Adaje as front to swindle them of the said sum.

He stated that, the money was paid into an account domiciled in one of the old generation banks.

According to Matthew, “sometimes in December, 2014, I was going in company of my sister, Theresa Abang along Nyanya Bridge when we saw an old friend in a fire service uniform. The friend told us that he just got the job and that the Service was still recruiting. We asked him how we could also get the job because we are interested, and he asked us to go to the Nyanya Office and meet one Christopher Adaje to help out.

“The next day, we visited Adaje in the office who gave us his personal First Bank details to pay in a sum of N350,000 (three hundred and fifty thousand naira) each in order to secure the job.

“Desirous of getting the job, we paid the money. Therefater, we went to Adaje for our employment letters and he told us to come back on Monday, December 22, 2014 because that day we visited him was a Friday. He told us there were errors in our names in the letter and that we would get our letters by Monday.

“After long and fruitless waiting, we reported the matter to the police because Adaje had stopped picking our calls. The DPO advised that we write a petition to the IGP because the man is a uniform man and they needed a warrant to arrest him. He also advised us to get a lawyer too.

“We engaged the services of one Ejiofor Obeta, a lawyer, through whom we petitioned the IGP, ICPC and EFCC”, Matthew narrated.

Thereafter, the PW1 was discharged from the witness box for the prosecution to call his second witness, PW2, Theresa Abang.

In her testimony, Abang also stated how Adaje collected money from them for a non-existent job in the fire service in which he neither deliver on his promise nor make a refund of their money.

“We went to him (Adaje) for our employment letters and he told us to come back on Monday, December 22, 2014 to get it because there were typos to be corrected in the letters. We called his phone on Monday and he didn’t pick. Since then, he has not been picking our calls. We also did not get the job or a refund of our money”, Abang stated.

The case has been adjourned to September 21, 2016 for continuation of trial.

Meanwhile, the former ACG, Olatunji was returned to Kuje prison where he had been remanded for failure to meet his bail conditions.

It would be recalled that, Justice Kolo had on May 19, 2016 admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N2million with one surety who must be resident in Wuse District of the FCT. The surety’s “Certificate of Occupancy” must be deposited with the court.

Media & Publicity

21st June, 2016