Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gombe Zonal Directorate, has arraigned one Dalhatu Yahaya before a Gombe High Court for allegedly defrauding a job seeker of N3.5 million under the false pretence of securing employment with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Yahaya was brought before Justice A.M. Yakubu of the Gombe High Court 2 on Thursday, May 21, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on intent to defraud. The defendant pleaded not guilty to both counts, after which the prosecution counsel requested a trial date and the remand of the accused in a correctional facility.
According to the charge sheet, Yahaya had in 2025 induced one Abubakar Shuaibu Yakubu to part with the sum of N3,500,000 (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) by falsely representing that he could help the victim secure employment with the Federal Inland Revenue Service. The anti-graft agency stated that the representation was known to the defendant to be false and that the act constituted an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. The second charge was similar, though the exact wording was not detailed in the EFCC statement.
Following Yahaya’s not guilty plea, prosecution counsel J.D. Tortema asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional centre pending the conclusion of the case. However, defence counsel Yusuf A. Ali informed the court that a bail application had already been filed on behalf of his client. Justice A.M. Yakubu, after listening to both sides, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) with one surety in like sum. The conditions for the surety are stringent: the surety must own a landed property worth at least N5 million, must be a resident of Gombe State, and must be of good standing. Additionally, the surety is required to tender the original copy of the land title document to the court, along with a valid identification card and their international passport, all subject to verification by the Court Registrar.
The judge adjourned the case to June 22, 2026, for the commencement of trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Gombe Correctional Service facility pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions. The EFCC's prosecution is expected to present witnesses and documentary evidence linking Yahaya to the alleged fraud.
The case highlights a persistent pattern of employment scams that have plagued job seekers across Nigeria, where fraudsters exploit high unemployment rates and desperation for government jobs. The EFCC has urged the public to verify any job offers through official channels and to report suspicious activities to the commission.
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