DIG Drags PSC to Court Over Compulsory Retirement

By
Rhoda Gistlover
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0
Court Sentence ten ‘yahoo boys’ for fraud,Theft On September 14, 2023, Justice O. A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, found ten individuals guilty of separate counts of internet fraud. Ikyegh Senenge Bobo, Anum Cyprian Sesugh, Boniface Udoo Aondofa, Utor Stanley Torkuma, Obande Emmanuel, James Ekere, Tony Ochekwu Moda, Ochaje James, Shadrach Ugbu Aondona, and Odumu Michael are the defendants who were brought to justice by the Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The prisoners were taken into custody in Makurdi at various locations for allegedly participating in cybercrime. According to the investigation, they used various aliases to deceive people into entering into phony social relationships so they could steal money from them. Senenge was found guilty and given a one-year prison term with the possibility of a N500,000 fine by Justice Egwuatu. He was told to hand over two plots of land in Phase 1 of Makurdi's Gboko Road, an iPhone 13 Pro, a Pontiac Vibe 2009 model, and other items to the Nigerian federal government. Cyprian was given a one-year sentence with the possibility of a fine of N500,000. Additionally, he gives up an iPhone 11 Pro Max to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Aondofa was given a one-year prison term with the possibility of a fine of N200,000.00 and was ordered to give up an iPhone 7 to the Nigerian federal government. Stanley was given a one-year prison term and given the option of paying a fine of N200,000.00 or forfeiting an iPhone to the Nigerian federal government. In addition, he must give the victim N97,900 (Ninety Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Naira) in restitution. James received a one-year sentence with the option of a N100,000 fine and forfeited an iPhone 14 Pro Max to the Federal Government, while Emmanuel received the same punishment. Ochekwu and Ochaje received sentences of one year in prison with a possible fine of one million naira and 500,000 points, respectively. Ochaje was given orders to forfeit one iPhone 6 and one HP laptop to the Federal Government of Nigeria, while Ochekwu must forfeit an iPhone 3 and an iPhone 8. Michael and Shadrach were given the option of paying a fine of N200,000 and N300,000, respectively, in addition to their one-year sentences. Shadrach was told to give the federal government an iPhone XR. Some of the charges read: “That you, Ikyegh Senenge Bobo “M” sometime between December, 2022 to May, 2023 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, sent an electronic message to one Daniella Alias Nagako, a female Japanese citizen based in the United States of America vide an Online App where you disguise yourself as a male citizen of Texas, United States of America with the name Nakamora by procuring Apple iTunes Cards valued at N5,662,200.00 from her and converted the proceeds into your Opay Limited wallet, Ikyegh Msendoo Mercy’s GT and Keystone Bank accounts respectively and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under same Section of the Act. “That you, Obande Emmanuel “M” (22 years) sometime between March and April, 2022 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained the sum of $1000 USD from unsuspecting foreign nationals by using Instagram account “taratwithdephina” through which you claimed to be a fortune teller offering consultancy and palm reading service to help them succeed in life and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (1) (iv) of the Act. “That you, Abah James Ekere “M” (33 years) on or about 22 June, 2021, in Makurdi, Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud knowingly sent electronic messages to Access Bank Plc and GT Bank that materially misrepresented the fact that a transaction of N1,500,000.00 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and N400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Naira) failed from your Access Bank account No. 0025620094 and GT. Bank account No. 0642871829 (from PoS terminal) which the Banks relied upon by making a chargeback to Accelerex Network Nigeria Limited who suffered a loss and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14 (2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under same Section of the Act. “That you, Shadrach Ugbu Aondona on or about February, 2022 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, used the identity of one Caitlyn Anderson, an America social media model and created a Gmail account, caitlynaanderson2012@gmail.com linked with your Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat accounts and sent fictitious messages to unsuspecting foreign nationals and obtained the sum of $2,000 (Two Thousand Dollars) only, which was converted and transferred to your Opay Account number 8073746212 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(a) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) (iv) of the same Act”.

Mr. Moses Ambakina Jitoboh, a deputy inspector-general (DIG) of police who was retired compulsorily, has brought the Police Service Commission (PSC) before the National Industrial Court (NIC), located in Abuja, for unjust retirement.

In the lawsuit, the DIG asked the court to rule that his alleged forced retirement by the PSC, which occurred prior to his required 35 years of service or 60 years of retirement age, was illegal, unconstitutional, and wrongful.

In addition, Jitoboh claimed that his alleged forced retirement was a flagrant violation of both Section 18 (8) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020 and Rule 020810 of the Public Service Rules in his statement of claims submitted to the court.

In order to preserve police tradition, which calls for a junior police officer to be promoted above a senior in order to prevent “status reversal,” the PSC allegedly retired DIG Jitoboh and three other officers.

In addition, the retired police chief is pleading for a court order compelling the PSC to provide N500 million in general damages for the unjustified humiliation brought on by the alleged termination of his job due to allegations that he was a disloyal officer.

In addition, he requested an additional N50 million to cover the costs of pursuing this legal action.

In his statement of claims, Jitoboh insisted that he was and is still an officer of the Nigeria Police Force until June 10, 2029, at which point he will have served 35 years and be eligible to retire. As a result, he claims he is entitled to his salaries, benefits, and other office-related items.

The former Director of Investigations requested a declaration from the National Industrial Court stating that the PSC Board’s tenure expired in July 2023, and as a result, the defendant (PSC) lacks the legal authority to make any decisions regarding the retirement or promotion of any police officers in accordance with Section 4(3) of the Police Service Commission Act, 2001.

He stated that the PSC board has a joint tenure system and that Mr. Arase’s appointment to serve out the remaining term of Mr. Musiliu Smith, who resigned as PSC chairman in 2022, gives him no legal right to stay in office after the board’s tenure has ended.

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