A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gudu, Abuja, has sentenced a Superintendent of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Hassan Abdullahi, to seven years imprisonment for certificate forgery and corruptly enriching himself through fraudulent career advancement.
Justice E. Okpe, who delivered the judgment, found Abdullahi guilty on a two-count charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
According to evidence led by ICPC prosecutor, Hamza Sani, the NSCDC officer had in December 2010 submitted a forged Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) purportedly issued by Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State.
The fake certificate was allegedly used to secure promotion within the Corps.
The court held that the action contravened Section 366 and is punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act, and subsequently sentenced Abdullahi to two years imprisonment or a ₦2 million fine on the first count.
On the second count, the court ruled that between December 2011 and October 2022, Abdullahi corruptly obtained salaries and allowances meant for a Senior Inspector, a rank he attained based on the forged certificate.
Justice Okpe declared that the conduct violated Section 19 of the ICPC Act, 2000, and handed him a five-year jail term without an option of fine.
In a major recovery order, the court also invoked Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, directing Abdullahi to refund all salaries, benefits, and emoluments earned from the date he fraudulently upgraded his rank until he stopped receiving pay from the Federal Government.
In its reaction, the ICPC described the judgment as a strong signal that the judiciary remains steadfast in sanitising the public service.
The Commission said certificate fraud and self-enrichment erode professionalism and public trust, vowing to intensify investigations and prosecutions of similar cases.
It urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies to strengthen document verification processes to prevent officers from exploiting loopholes for personal gain.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
