By Spear News
A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gudu, Abuja, has sentenced a Superintendent of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Hassan Abdullahi, to seven years imprisonment for forging an academic certificate and fraudulently receiving salaries and benefits.
In a landmark judgment delivered by Honourable Justice E. Okpe, the court found Abdullahi guilty on two counts brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The court heard how the convict, in December 2010, presented a forged Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) from the Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State, to the NSCDC to secure an undeserved career advancement.
For this act of forgery, which violates Section 366 of the Penal Code Act, Justice Okpe sentenced Abdullahi to two years imprisonment or an option of a ₦2 million fine.
On the second count, the court established that between December 2011 and October 2022, Abdullahi exploited his position to confer a corrupt advantage upon himself.
He received salaries and benefits commensurate with the rank of Senior Inspector, a promotion he obtained solely based on the forged certificate.
This offense contravenes Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, for which he was sentenced to five years imprisonment without the option of a fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Delivering a decisive blow against the proceeds of the crime, Justice Okpe invoked Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
The court issued a mandatory restitution order, compelling Hassan Abdullahi to refund all salaries, benefits, and emoluments he fraudulently received from the NSCDC from the date of his illicit promotion until he ceased receiving a salary.
ICPC Prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, led the successful prosecution. The Commission hailed the judgment as a robust affirmation of the judiciary’s partnership in sanitizing the public service. It stressed that such acts of certificate forgery and fraudulent enrichment erode professionalism, integrity, and public trust.
The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to prosecuting all forms of corruption and urged all government institutions to strengthen their internal verification mechanisms to prevent similar fraud.
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