The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arraigned Munirat Abdulazeez, a former employee of the Court of Appeal, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Bwari, over her alleged role in a job scam.
Her arraignment comes after Justice Godwin Iheabunke issued a bench warrant for her arrest last Wednesday, following her failure to appear in court to answer charges leveled against her by the ICPC.
According to the Commission, Abdulazeez lured unsuspecting job seekers with false promises of employment in prominent government agencies, including the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Investigators revealed that between September 2022 and July 2023, the defendant collected a total of N9.2 million from eight individuals under false pretenses.
Abdulazeez, who served at the Court of Appeal between 2018 and 2023 before being dismissed for her involvement in racketeering and auction fraud, is accused of violating section 1 (1)(a) and is liable under section 1 (3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006.
One of the charges read in court stated, “That you MUNIRAT ABDULAZEEZ (AKA JUMMAI) (F) sometimes between September to December, 2022 and the month of January to July, 2023 or thereabout at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a staff with the Court of Appeal Nigeria, Abuja division with intent to defraud did obtain by false pretence the sum of N9,200,000 (Nine Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira) only from Musa Mohammed Maude and his other friends including Sule Sadanu, Haruna Idris Lokos, Yusuf Musa, Mahmud Jibrin, Adama Mohammed Maude, Shuaibu Musa, Ahmed Sunusi and Aliyu Ahmed which sum was paid into your Access bank account with account number 1496346113 under the guise of securing employment for them in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.”
Abdulazeez entered a plea of “not guilty” to the two-count charge presented before the court.
Following her plea, ICPC’s prosecuting counsel, Mr. Hamza Sani, urged the court to retain the initially scheduled hearing date of June 13, 2025, for the presentation of prosecution witnesses.
Though the Commission did not oppose a bail application filed on behalf of the defendant, it affirmed its preparedness to proceed with the trial.
Justice Iheabunke subsequently granted Abdulazeez bail in the sum of N10 million, with two sureties in like amount. The court further ruled, “The sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and must deposit the title documents with the court Registrar, and the same must be confirmed by the registrar. The Defendant must write to the court formally in any event she wants to travel.”
The court then adjourned the case to June 20, 2025, to enable the prosecution to assemble its witnesses, thereby vacating the previously agreed date.
