Job racketeering: Abuja court remands alleged Reps impersonator

JUSTICE A. Y Shafa of a Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, yesterday, remanded one Jim Chimezie Okolo at the Kuje Correctional Centre for impersonation and job racketeering.

Okolo was prosecuted by the Department of State Services ( DSS) on an eightcount charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.

The offences were contrary to Section 1 ( 1) ( a) and Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act. 2006 and punishable under Section 1 ( 3) of the same Act.

When the matter was called by the court registrar, the defendant pleaded not guilty.

Consequently, the prosecuting counsel, Vivian Oporomo, a Principal State Counsel from the Ministry of Justice, applied that the defendant be remanded in correctional custody to enable the prosecution to open its case.

But the defendant’s counsel, Abubakar Marshal, told the court that the charge was served on his client on Friday, February 2, and urged the court to exercise discretion on bail application for the defendant.

But the judge interjected and told the defence counsel that the bail application was not yet ripe for hearing. Also objecting, the prosecution asked that the defendant be remanded in custody pending the next adjourned date.

After listening to the arguments of the parties in the suit, the judge adjourned till February 13, for hearing of the bail application, and April 25, for trial.

Okolo was accused of collecting N800,000 under false pretence with the promise to secure employment for one Esther Kanu at the Federal Road Safety Commission ( FRSC). He was also accused of collecting another N3.5 million from one Ekene Jennifer Obi to secure Federal Government jobs for some people.

The defendant was said to have been parading himself as a member of the House of Representatives and Executive Director of Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND) among other things.

It was further learnt that Okolo ran into Kanu, an old acquaintance, and told him that he was a former member of the Federal House of Representatives, a consultant in the Presidency, and had a lot of connections.