ICPC arraigns provost, lecturer for certificate forgery in Sokoto

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Hauwau Gimbiya Mukhtar Abdulkarim, the serving provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) (FCET), Gusau, alongside Abdullahi Boyi, a lecturer with the Sokoto State College of Education (SSCE) Sokoto, on alleged certificate forgery.

The duo were arraigned 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 accused 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.

They were also accused of making false statements to the officers of the ICPC in the course of the investigation, which 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 charges 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 offence contrary to Section 59(1) and punishable under Section 60(2) of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law, 2019.”

Both defendants, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all six charges when read to them by the court’s registrar.

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 requested the court consider reasonable terms for bail, citing the defendants’ “established positions and cooperation during the investigation.”

Counsel to the ICPC, Mr. Suleiman Ahmad, did not oppose the bail applications.

Hon. Justice Sambo, after considering the applications, granted bail under specific conditions designed to ensure the defendants’ continued presence throughout the trial proceedings.

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, emphasising the Commission’s preparedness to present witnesses and evidence in support of the charges.

Justice Sambo adjourned the matter to 21 November 2024, when the hearing is set to begin.

The prosecution is expected to call witnesses and introduce material evidence to substantiate the allegations.