A former legislative aide and banker, Goni Yilkan, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for defrauding over 60 job seekers of N120.5 million in a bogus employment racket.
Justice F.E. Messiri of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, handed down the judgment on Monday, after finding Yilkan guilty of two counts of obtaining money by false pretence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Yilkan, from Nguru, Yobe State, deceived his victim, Hindatu Bello, into believing he could secure employment slots in agencies including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Bello, trusting his claims, collected money from more than 60 desperate job seekers between 2020 and 2021 and handed over a total of N120,580,550 to Yilkan. But the promised jobs never materialised, prompting her petition to the EFCC.
The convict was first arraigned in October 2023 alongside Mohammed Adamu, who was later acquitted.
During the trial, the EFCC presented six witnesses and several documents, while Yilkan and his defence team brought two witnesses.
In his ruling, Justice Messiri held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He sentenced Yilkan to eight years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine, describing his conduct as a cruel exploitation of vulnerable job seekers.
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