A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja has convicted one Ramat Mba, a mother of five, for forging the signature of former President Muhammadu Buhariโs Chief of Staff, late Abba Kyari.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and shared via X.com handle on Sunday.
According to the statement, the evidence tendered showed that the convict fraudulently forged a letterhead paper of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President and Kyari’s signature.
The ICPC had arraigned Mba in June, 2022 on a five-count bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and Sections 320 (b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.
One of the counts read, โThat you Ramat Mercy Mba (f) sometimes in the month of October, 2019 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did fraudulently induce one Mr. Ismail Adewole Oladipupo, an unsuspecting job seeker and collected the sum of N700,000.00 from him which sum was paid into your private account under the guise of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency. (NASDRA), and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria.โ
In the course of the trial, ICPCโs prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, led evidence before the court on how the convict dishonestly induced her victims in the guise of securing employment for them with government agencies like Federal Inland Revenue Services , National Space Research Development Agency and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad convicted the mother of five on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5 that deal on cheating and forgery while she was discharged on count 4 that deals with felony.
The presiding judge, however, deferred the sentencing of the convict till Thursday, May 16, 2024 but directed that she should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.
Credit: X | icpcnigeria
