ICPC Arraigns FCET Provost, Lecturer for Certificate Forgery in Sokoto
By Chizoba Njaka
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has prosecuted Hauwau Gimbiya Mukhtar Abdulkarim, the serving Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) (FCET), Gusau, and Abdullahi Boyi, a lecturer in the Sokoto State College of Education (SSCE) for certificate forgery.
The criminal act which was made known in a press release signed by the Acting Director, Public Enlightenment and Education, Spokesperson for the Commission, Demola Bakare, at Abuja, revealed that they were prosecuted on a six-count charge, registered as charge No. SS/213c/2024, before Hon. Justice Muhammad Aliyu Sambo at the Sokoto State High Court.
ICPC charged the two defendants of forging an appointment letter and subsequent use of same for application for the position of Provost at the Federal College of Education(Technical) Gusau, Zamfara State as well as making false statements to the officers of the ICPC in the course of investigation which according to the statement is an offence under Section 25(1) (a) and punishable under Section 25 (ii) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Act 2000.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you Hauwa’u Gimbiya Mukhtar Abdulkarim (F) and Abdullah Boyi (M) sometimes in the year 2023 or thereabout at Sokoto within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to do an illegal act to wit: forgery of a letter of “Notification for Appointment” to the Post of Chief Lecturer on COMPCASS 14 with effect from 1st January, 2017 and you thereby committed an offencecontrary to section 59(1) and punishable under section 60(2) ofthe Sokoto State Penal Code Law,2019.”
Though both defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all the six charges when read to them by the Court’s Registrar.
The statement also has it that the Counsel for the defendants, Dr. Muhammad Mansur Aliyu and Mr. M.S Diri SAN respectively moved for applications for bail on behalf of their clients.
They however appealed to the court to consider reasonable terms for bail citing the defendants' “established positions and cooperation during the investigation" but the Counsel to the ICPC, Mr. Suleiman Ahmad did not oppose the bail applications.
After considering the applications, Hon Justice Sambo granted bail under specific conditions designed to ensure the defendants’ continued to appear in the court throughout the trial proceedings.
Meanwhile, the bail conditions require each defendant to provide two sureties who are permanent residents of Sokoto State, with each surety signing a bond of one million naira (₦1,000,000).
Following the granting of bail, the ICPC prosecutor requested a date for trial to commence, emphasizing the Commission’s preparedness to present witnesses and evidence in support of the charges.
Hon. Justice Sambo adjourned the matter to 21st November, 2024, when the hearing is set to begin as the prosecution is expected to call witnesses and introduce material evidence to substantiate the allegations.