Employment scam: Lecturer, EFCC disagree on plea bargain

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday rejected a plea bargain offer by a lecturer with the Federal Polytechnic, Ofa, Kwara State, Illyas Abdulwasiu, who is standing trial for alleged employment scam.

The EFCC told Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court that it could not agree to the terms in the plea bargain offer brought by Abdulwasiu.

The EFCC had in November last year arraigned the lecturer on nine counts, wherein he was accused of defrauding some job seekers under the guise of helping them to secure employment at the Federal Polytechnic, Ofa, Kwara State.

The prosecution said Abdulwasiu acted contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006.

At the Thursday hearing, the prosecuting counsel, Mr A.A. Adebayo, told the court that the defendant had at the previous hearing indicated his intention to opt for plea bargain.

Adebayo, however, said the terms proposed by Abdulwasiu was not agreeable to the anti-graft agency.

“We have a directive that we should not go on with such an agreement and as a result, we want to proceed with full trial,” the prosecutor said.

The defence counsel, M.O. Balogun, raised no objection.

The trial judge thereafter adjourned till February 12 for commencement of trial.