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

The provost and lecturer were arraigned on a six-count charge before Justice Muhammad Aliyu Sambo at the Sokoto State High Court.

The ICPC accused the two defendants of forging an appointment letter and subsequent use of the same for application for the position of Provost at the FCET.

They were also accused of making false statements to the officers of the ICPC in the course of an investigation which the commission said 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 read: “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.”

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The defendants however pleaded “not guilty” to all six charges when read to them.

Counsel for the defendants, Dr Muhammad Aliyu and M.S Diri (SAN), respectively, moved for applications 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.”

The ICPC counsel, Suleiman Ahmad, did not oppose the bail applications.

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 N1 million.

Following the granting of the 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, therefore, adjourned the matter to November 21, 2024, for the commencement of hearing.

The Star