The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, September 22, 2025, secured the conviction and sentencing of a former legislative aide and banker, Mr. Goni Yilkan, for offences bordering on obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N120.5 million. The judgment was delivered by Justice F. E. Messiri of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja.
Yilkan, who hails from Nguru in Yobe State, was found guilty on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence. The offence is contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. He was consequently sentenced to eight years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The convict was arraigned alongside one Mohammed Adamu in October 2023, following investigations by the EFCC into a petition of fraud. According to the petitioner, Mrs. Hindatu Bello, Yilkan deceived her between 2020 and 2021 into believing that he could secure employment slots in key government agencies, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). On this basis, Bello collected money from over 60 jobseekers amounting to N120,580,550, which she allegedly remitted to Yilkan.
However, the jobs never materialised, leading Bello to petition the EFCC. One of the charges filed against Yilkan read: “That you, Mohammed Goni Yilkan, Mohammed Adamu and others at large between 3rd January 2020 and December 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory 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 for her candidates in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Cosmas Ugwu, called six witnesses and tendered several documents in evidence. The defence, represented by J. A. Oguche, called two witnesses, including Yilkan himself.
In delivering judgment, Justice Messiri held that the EFCC had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. He convicted Yilkan but discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, Mohammed Adamu. “The evidence presented by the prosecution is sufficient and consistent,” the judge said, before sentencing Yilkan to eight years in prison without an option of fine.
According to the court, Yilkan’s conviction marked the end of a case that began when he collected over N120.5 million from desperate jobseekers on the false promise of employment slots. The money was neither refunded nor did the jobs materialise, sealing his journey to the Correctional Centre.