The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned the serving provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Zamfara State, Hauwau Abdulkarim, alongside a lecturer with the Sokoto State College of Education, Abdullahi Boyi, over alleged certificate forgery.
The ICPC accused the two defendants of faking an appointment letter and subsequently used it to apply for the position of provost at the college.
They were also accused of providing false statements to ICPC personnel throughout the inquiry, which is a violation of Section 25(1)(a) and punished by Section 25(ii)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
According to a statement made on Sunday by the commission’s spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the defendants have pleaded not guilty to the six accusations filed against them.
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 January 1, 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.”
Bakare stated that the defendants’ counsels, Dr. Muhammad Aliyu and Mr. M.S. Diri, applied for bail on behalf of their clients.
“They requested the court to consider reasonable terms for bail, citing the defendants’ established positions and cooperation during the investigation,” adding that the ICPC’s counsel, Mr. Suleiman Ahmad, did not oppose the bail applications.
He stated that after examining the applications, the trial judge, Justice Muhammad Sambo, granted bail with particular restrictions intended to assure the defendants’ continuing attendance during the trial processes.
“The bail conditions require each defendant to provide two sureties who are permanent residents of Sokoto State, with each surety signing a bond of ₦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 November 21, 2024, when the hearing is set to begin,” he said.
