Former NIPC Official Sentenced for Forgery, Ex-Ministers Adeosun and Nnaji Evade Charges

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has successfully secured a conviction against a former employee of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Muhammad Musa, for submitting forged academic and service credentials during his employment process.

The ruling was delivered by Justice B. Mandy Bassi at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Asokoro, Abuja, following a plea bargain on an amended single charge.

Details of the judgment shared by ICPC on Wednesday did not specify the exact date the ruling was handed down.

The court established that Musa had fraudulently acquired and submitted a fake Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science, allegedly issued by the University of Maiduguri, along with a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate to gain employment with the NIPC.

The deception was uncovered after ICPC received a verification request from the executive secretary of NIPC for a staff audit. During this review, it was revealed that the credentials provided by Musa were indeed fraudulent, and follow-up checks confirmed their illegitimacy.

In Charge No: CR/113/25, ICPC’s legal representative, O. R. Bada, informed the court that Musa's actions breached Section 25(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act of 2000.

Initially, Musa faced six charges relating to forgery and false declarations. Following a plea for leniency due to his cooperation with investigators, the charges were consolidated into a single count as part of the plea agreement.

The ICPC argued that the plea bargain served justice, as Musa showed remorse and was cooperative throughout the judicial proceedings.

Musa was ordered to refund N36.5 million, which were gains he made from his fraudulent representation, back into the ICPC Recovery Account.

Emeka Izima, the defense counsel for Musa, stated that his client was regretful and had shown his contrition by returning all benefits obtained from his fraudulent actions.

In her judgment, Justice Bassi affirmed the terms of the plea deal and imposed a non-custodial sentence on Musa, requiring him to maintain good conduct and pay a fine of N50,000.

While Musa has faced punishment, two former ministers entangled in similar forgery allegations, Kemi Adeosun and Uche Nnaji, continue to dodge prosecution.

Reports from PREMIUM TIMES revealed that Kemi Adeosun, the former Finance Minister, bypassed the requisite national youth service, obtaining a forged exemption certificate that she used to secure top positions, including her role as commissioner in Ogun State and later as Nigeria's finance minister.

Adeosun resigned on September 14, 2018, acknowledging in her resignation letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari that the NYSC certificate she claimed to have was not authentic after the PREMIUM TIMES exposé.

She defended her actions by stating that she was unaware of the forgery and relied on associates who procured the certificate for her after her return from the UK, although she conceded to the findings of the investigation.

Similarly, an investigation conducted by PREMIUM TIMES last year indicated that Uche Nnaji, appointed as the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, had submitted forged credentials during his ministerial confirmation in 2023.

The results of this extensive investigation were conclusive, showing that both his degree and NYSC discharge certificates were forgeries. Nnaji himself admitted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) never issued him the claimed degree.

Under Nigerian law, penalties are enforced against those who skip the NYSC or forge its certifications. For eligible Nigerians avoiding the service, a penalty can entail a 12-month prison sentence or a N2,000 fine, as outlined in Section 13 of the NYSC Act. Violators could also face a three-year imprisonment or a N5,000 fine for further infractions.

Moreover, Section 13 (4) specifically criminalizes the provision of false information or the illicit acquisition of the agency's certificate, with potential jail terms of up to three years for such offenders.

Perjury, which involves providing false testimony after taking an oath, is also an offense under Section 117 of the Criminal Code Act. Forgery remains illegal per Nigeria's Criminal Code Act, which stipulates penalties for offenders based on the severity of the crime.

Section 465 defines forgery as the act of creating a false document or writing, knowing it to be false, with the intention that it may be used as genuine, either in Nigeria or elsewhere, to the detriment of any individual. Section 467 classifies forgery as a felony, carrying a potential three-year jail term upon conviction.

In the same vein, the Penal Code evidences similar outlawing of forgery, where penalties can extend to 14 years of imprisonment as stated in Section 364 for forgery offenses committed in northern Nigeria.