Ex-legislative aide bags 8-year jail term for N120.5m employment scam

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin –

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, September 22, 2025, secured the conviction of a former legislative aide and banker, Mr. Goni Yilkan, over a N120.5 million employment scam. The conviction was delivered by Justice F.E. Messiri of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja.

Yilkan, a native of Nguru, Yobe State, was found guilty on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.

He was arraigned alongside one Mohammed Adamu in October 2023 following a petition filed by Hajiya Hindatu Bello. Bello alleged that Yilkan defrauded her between 2020 and 2021 by claiming he could secure employment slots in government agencies such as the FIRS, CBN, and NDDC.

Based on this claim, Bello collected varying sums of money from over 60 job seekers, totaling N120,580,550, which she handed over to Yilkan. However, none of the promised job placements materialized, prompting her to petition the EFCC.

Part of the charges reads: “That you, Mohammed Goni Yilkan, Mohammed Adamu, and others at large, between 3rd January 2020 and December 2021 in Abuja, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N120,580,550 from Mrs. Hindatu Bello under the false pretence that you had the capacity to secure jobs… which pretence you knew to be false…”

During the trial, the prosecution, led by Cosmas Ugwu, called six witnesses and tendered various documents as evidence. The defence, led by J.A. Oguche, presented two witnesses, including Yilkan himself.

In his judgment, Justice Messiri ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. While Yilkan was convicted, his co-defendant, Adamu, was discharged and acquitted. The court ordered Yilkan’s remand in prison pending sentencing.

At the sentencing hearing, Yilkan pleaded for leniency, claiming remorse. However, the prosecuting counsel argued that he had shown no genuine remorse, noting that he still retained the fraudulent proceeds. The judge subsequently sentenced him to eight years in prison, marking the end of a five-year-long case of fraud and broken trust.