Anambra pair arraigned for duping job seekers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two suspects for defrauding job seekers of N1.8 million.

Bernard Chukwuma Muoghalu and Anyiam Isabella have been hauled before Justice Agbata at the Anambra State High Court in Onitsha on a 12-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence.

According to the commission, the accused are being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency for allegedly conspiring to obtain various sums of money from some job seekers with promise of helping them to secure jobs with the Onitsha North Local Government Council.

The EFCC also alleged that after collecting money from job seekers, the accused persons issued fake employment letters to the applicants and asked them to report for work, assuring that their names were already on the payroll but after several months of working without pay, the job seekers discovered they had been duped.


Part of the charge sheet reads, “Bernard Sunday Chukwuma Muoghalu and Anyiam Isabella sometimes in November 2011 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N320, 000.00 (three hundred and twenty thousand naira) from Mr. Okey Obiagwu under the false pretence that you have secured a job for Mrs. Okey Okeke Anuri Obiagwu at Onitsha North Local Government Council, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence.”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were granted bail in the sum N500 000 each and a surety in like sum. 

The sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of court and they are to present to court, two passport photographs and evidence of tax payment for the past three years.

The matter was adjourned to July 1 for trial. 

– CAJ News