ICPC secure 12 years conviction of a dismissed NECO staff for certification forgery
Kola Oyelere Kano
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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a dismissed staff member of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Abdulwahab Sule, over certificate forgery and related offences.
The judgment was delivered on Tuesday by the High Court of Niger State sitting in Minna, presided over by Justice Abdullahi Mikailu, in a case marked NSHC/ICPC/1C/2023.
Sule, who was dismissed from NECO in 2020, was found guilty on a three-count charge bordering on the use of forged documents, possession of forged documents, and making false statements.
According to the ICPC, investigations revealed that the convict fraudulently used a forged diploma certificate purportedly issued by the Modibbo Adama University, formerly known as the Federal University of Technology, Yola, to secure employment with NECO in January 2009.
He reportedly remained in the employment of the examination body until September 2020, when discrepancies in his credentials led to his dismissal.
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This was contained in a statement signed by the Spokesman of the commission OkorJ Odey a copy made available to press in Kano
The anti-corruption agency said verification from the university confirmed that the certificate, dated March 18, 2008, did not originate from the institution.
Further findings indicated that Sule had not completed his studies at the time he claimed to have graduated and still had outstanding courses.
The Commission also established that he made false representations to NECO’s Director of Human Resource Management in August 2020, claiming he had legitimately obtained the diploma certificate.
During the investigation, Sule admitted he did not complete his studies and disclosed that he paid N30,000 to obtain the forged certificate.
Following his conviction, the court sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment on count one, 10 years on count two, and two years on count three.
The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning he will serve 12 years in prison.
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The ICPC reiterated its commitment to tackling corruption in public institutions and warned that individuals involved in forgery and falsification of records would be prosecuted.
It also urged organisations to strengthen verification processes for staff credentials to safeguard institutional integrity.