ICPC secures 12-year jail term for dismissed NECO official over certificate forgery
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a dismissed staff member of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Abdulwahab Sule, for offences bordering on certificate forgery and related corrupt practices.
According to a statement by J. Okor Odey, ICPC spokesperson, the conviction was delivered by the high court of Niger state sitting in Minna, presided over by Abdullahi Mikailu, in charge No: NSHC/ICPC/1C/2023.
Sule, who was dismissed from NECO in 2020 following the discovery of irregularities in his credentials, was found guilty on a three-count charge of using a forged document as genuine, possession of a forged document, and making false statements.
Investigations by the ICPC revealed that he fraudulently presented a forged diploma certificate purportedly issued by the Federal University of Technology, Yola (now Modibbo Adama University, Yola) to secure employment with NECO in January 2009, where he remained until his dismissal in September 2020.
Further findings showed that the certificate, dated March 18, 2008, did not originate from the institution, as confirmed during verification.
The commission also established that Sule had not completed his studies and still had outstanding courses at the time he claimed to have graduated.
He was also found to have knowingly made false representations to NECO’s director of human resource management in August 2020, falsely claiming ownership of the diploma certificate.
During interrogation, Sule admitted that he did not complete his studies and disclosed that he paid N30,000 to obtain the forged certificate from an individual.
Upon conviction, the court sentenced him to 12 years’ imprisonment on count one, 10 years on count two, and two years on count Three. The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning he will serve an effective 12-year jail term.
