Dabiet Gilbert, a Nigerian Immigration Service employee, was sentenced to one year in prison for a job scam by the Gombe State High Court. Gilbert was accused of scamming Akoh Accoustic of N800,000 on the promise of a position with the Nigerian Correctional Services.

Gilbert’s charge read, “That you Dabiet Gilbert on or about 28th May, 2021 in Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N800,000.00 from Akoh Daniel Accoustic by falsely representing that the said sum was for job placement with the Nigerian Correctional Services, which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code.

During his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, he pleaded guilty to the single charge of fraud brought against him.

According to a statement issued on Friday, 28 June 2024, by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, ” Gilbert pleaded “guilty” to his one charge, prompting prosecution counsel, A.M Labaran, to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly, though defense counsel, Yusuf Ali, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. Haruna pleaded “guilty” only to count-two of his charges, prompting prosecution counsel M.Ugbe to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

“Justice H.H Kereng afterwards convicted and sentenced Gilbert to one-year imprisonment with an option of fine of N60,000.”

Oyewale added that Gilbert’s journey to prison began when his victim petitioned the EFCC after discovering that he had been duped into accepting a non-existent Nigerian Correctional Service job and that his attempts to recover his money had failed.

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