Munirat Abdulazeez, a former employee of the Court of Appeal, was brought before Justice Godwin Iheabunke at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Buari on Wednesday to face a two-count charge of job racketeering, lodged against her by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Abdulazeez, who had previously been the subject of an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to a statement released by the ICPC on Saturday, Abdulazeez is accused of deceiving job seekers with promises of non-existent positions at prominent government agencies including the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Investigations by the commission revealed that between September 2022 and July 2023, she allegedly defrauded eight unsuspecting victims of a total of N9.2 million under these false pretenses.
Abdulazeez's employment at the Court of Appeal, where she worked from 2018, was terminated in 2023 due to her alleged involvement in job racketeering and auction fraud. She now faces charges under section 1(1)(a), which is punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Following her not-guilty plea, her lawyer successfully moved for a bail application, which was not opposed by the ICPC. Justice Iheabunke granted Abdulazeez bail in the sum of N10 million, requiring two sureties of the same amount. The sureties must possess landed property within the court's jurisdiction, deposit the title documents with the court registrar for verification, and the defendant is mandated to formally notify the court if she intends to travel. The case has been adjourned to June 20, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
