The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja, has sentenced a former legislative aide and banker, Mr. Goni Yilkan, to eight years’ imprisonment for defrauding job seekers of ₦120.5 million under the guise of securing employment slots in government agencies. Continue reading
Justice F. E. Messiri delivered the judgment on Monday, September 22, 2025, following Yilkan’s conviction on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The case was prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which arraigned Yilkan alongside one Mohammed Adamu in October 2023. While Yilkan was found guilty, Adamu was discharged and acquitted.
According to court records, Yilkan, a native of Nguru, Yobe State, tricked his victim, Mrs. Hindatu Bello, into believing he could facilitate employment for over 60 candidates in federal institutions including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Between 2020 and 2021, Bello collected funds from the job seekers and remitted a total of ₦120,580,550 to Yilkan.
The fraud came to light when the promised jobs failed to materialize, prompting Bello to petition the EFCC.
During the trial, EFCC counsel, Cosmas Ugwu, presented six witnesses and tendered documents to prove the case, while Yilkan’s defence team, led by J.A. Oguche, called two witnesses, including the convict himself.
Justice Messiri, in his ruling, held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. He subsequently sentenced Yilkan to eight years in prison without an option of fine.
Yilkan’s conviction underscores the EFCC’s ongoing crackdown on employment racketeering, which has become a major source of fraud preying on desperate job seekers across the country.
Source: X