Rivers apprehend civil servant, two others for alleged forgery

Rivers State Civil Service has arrested and arraigned a serving Civil servant and two alleged impostors who pose as pensioners with forged Rivers State Government Staff Identification Cards to infiltrate the ongoing verification of retirees for payment of their pensions.

The state governor, Nyesom Wike had on May 1 approved the verification of retirees for payment of their pensions, gratuities and death benefits of civil servants in the state.

Following the directive, the state head of service, Rufus Godwin, on Friday, announced that the civil service’s attention was drawn to the existence of a syndicate of fraudsters who posed as retirees.

Godwin in a statement said the criminal activities of the impostors came to the limelight on Thursday, July 14, 2022, at the venue of the verification exercise when a serving civil servant, Enoch Opara, in conspiracy with Arthur Mark, and Akama Overseer, with others at large, forged the Rivers State Government Staff Identification Cards for the purpose of facilitating their fraudulent participation in the verification exercise with the intent to defraud Government of retirees’ pensions, gratuities, and death benefits.

He said: “The above-named suspects who were promptly arrested, were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Port Harcourt, on Monday, 18 July 2022, for sundry criminal offenses relating to conspiracy and forgery, with respect to the retirees’ verification and payment exercise, while the civil servant among them would also face appropriate disciplinary action in line with the Public Service Rules.”

He, however, assured all legitimate retirees of the government’s preparedness to continue with the scheduled verification and payment exercise without any hindrance or disruption by impersonators, with the expected vigilance to fish out for prosecution of any person who is intent on sabotaging the exercise.

Meanwhile, he explained that the fleeing accomplices who are still at large, are under the searchlight of the Police, adding that they would be similarly brought to book when arrested.