The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a former employee of the Court of Appeal, Munirat Abdulazeez, on charges related to an alleged job fraud scheme. She appeared before Justice Godwin Iheabunke at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Bwari, Abuja.
According to a statement issued by ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare on Saturday, Abdulazeez is accused of fraudulently obtaining ₦9.2 million from multiple unsuspecting individuals by promising fake employment opportunities in key federal institutions.
The alleged scam involved fraudulent job offers at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The ICPC stated that the fraudulent activities occurred between September 2022 and July 2023, during which time the defendant reportedly collected various sums of money from at least eight job seekers under false pretenses. At the time, Abdulazeez was employed by the Court of Appeal, where she worked between 2018 and 2023.
One of the charges filed against her reads:
“That you, MUNIRAT ABDULAZEEZ (also known as JUMMAI), between September to December 2022 and January to July 2023, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a staff of the Court of Appeal, with intent to defraud, obtained by false pretence the sum of ₦9,200,000 from Musa Mohammed Maude and others by claiming you could secure them jobs in NIMASA, CBN, and FIRS — an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.”
An arrest warrant had earlier been issued against Abdulazeez following her failure to appear for a previous hearing. Upon her eventual appearance in court, she pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge brought against her.
Following her plea, ICPC prosecution counsel, Hamza Sani, requested that the court proceed with the previously scheduled hearing date of June 13, 2025. However, Justice Iheabunke vacated the earlier date and adjourned the case to June 20, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
In the meantime, Abdulazeez’s legal counsel applied for bail, which was not opposed by the ICPC. The court granted her bail in the sum of ₦10 million, with two sureties in the same amount.
Justice Iheabunke stipulated that the sureties must own landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, and that the original title documents must be submitted to the court registrar for verification. He also ordered that the defendant must notify the court in writing before undertaking any travel.
The case is now scheduled for hearing on June 20, 2025, when the prosecution is expected to call its witnesses and formally commence trial proceedings.