In a major development, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly has directed the State Commissioner for Education and heads of security agencies to present their staff allegedly involved in the ongoing job racketeering scandal linked to the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC). The directive followed testimonies from victims who paid for employment letters, during an investigative committee hearing held on Monday in Lafia.
The House Adhoc Committee, which is investigating the sale of appointment letters within the TSC, is continuing its probe after more revelations surfaced from affected applicants. The lawmakers have also re-invited the former TSC Chairman, Mohammed Abubakar Gada, and several staff members from the Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to appear on Wednesday by 10am.
Some of the victims, including Sanke Priscilla and Ibrahim Abdulkadir, gave evidence that they paid between ₦500,000 and ₦1.7 million to agents linked to the former TSC Chairman in return for teaching job appointments that never materialised. According to testimonies, many of the middlemen involved in the scandal are staff from the TSC, Ministry of Education, and even uniformed security personnel.
A visibly emotional Priscilla Sanke submitted an audio recording to the committee, said to contain a conversation between her and the former TSC Chairman regarding the payment of ₦800,000 for an employment letter. Another victim, Adigizi Abaya, disclosed to the committee that he transferred ₦14 million—a mix of cash and bank transfers—to the former Chairman’s account and that of his personal assistant on behalf of 28 applicants.
“Up till this moment, I have not received any appointment letters,” Abaya said. “When I complained, they told me to be patient, that the letters would come.”
Chairman of the Assembly’s Adhoc Committee, Hon. Daniel Ogah Ogazi, assured victims that justice would be served. He sympathised with the affected applicants and promised the Assembly’s full commitment to recovering their funds and holding those responsible accountable.
“We invited you to tell us what you know. Tell us who gave you the appointments and how much you paid to get the job,” Ogazi said. “Be sincere as you are speaking under oath. We want to assure you that justice will be served at the end of the day.”
The committee also gave specific instructions for the former TSC Chairman to appear again by Wednesday, adding that some victims had provided bank evidence of payments made directly to his account.
The Committee directed the Commissioner of Education to produce Michael Jonyi of the Area Inspectorate Office in Doma, along with all Ministry of Education staff mentioned by victims, to appear for questioning. Furthermore, invitations will be sent to the Commissioner of Police and the Commandant of NSCDC in Lafia, asking them to present the officers implicated in the illegal sale of jobs.
“We are directing the Commissioner of Police and the Commandant of NSCDC, Lafia, to bring their officers mentioned to be involved in the scandal on Wednesday this week by 10am,” Hon. Ogazi said.
Mr. Yamush Amos, an Evaluation Officer at the Ministry of Education in Lafia, admitted during the hearing that he acted as an agent for the former TSC Chairman, helping to sell job slots. He provided bank tellers as evidence of transactions he facilitated for employment letters. The Assembly committee noted that his confession adds a significant layer of credibility to the claims made by other victims.
According to testimonies gathered during the hearing, three victims alone paid over ₦4 million to various agents for teaching jobs that were never delivered. Many applicants reportedly raised these funds through loans or by selling personal property.
Hon. Ogazi acknowledged the heavy burden on the victims and reassured them of the Assembly’s commitment to seek redress.
“Only God knows where some of you got the money to buy the employment,” he said. “We will ensure that justice is done on the issue.”
Also present at the hearing were physically challenged teachers who had been disengaged by the state government. They claimed they were removed from service without undergoing any screening process by the official consulting firm. The committee noted their complaints and promised to investigate the matter further.
The House has instructed all implicated individuals—former and current government staff, including members of security agencies—to appear before the committee this Wednesday. The Assembly has promised to use all legal channels to ensure accountability, transparency, and the recovery of funds.
This case, now widely regarded as one of the biggest employment fraud scandals in the state’s recent history, continues to draw public attention. With more victims coming forward and evidence being presented, the demand for accountability is growing louder.
The investigation, which touches on job scams, corruption in civil service recruitment, and abuse of power by top officials, is expected to have far-reaching implications for public service integrity and employment transparency in Nasarawa State.
Lawmakers remain confident that the truth will be fully uncovered and that the culprits, regardless of their status or affiliation, will be held responsible.