By Eze Nkechi
A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja has found guilty and convicted one Mrs. Ramat Mercy Mba, a mother of five children guilty of forging the signature of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, the late Abba Kyari.
The presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Mohammad however deferred the sentencing of the convict till Thursday, 16th of May, 2024 but directed that she should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had arraigned Mba in June, 2022 on a 5-count charge bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and Sections 320 (b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.
One of the counts read: “THAT you RAMAT MERCY MBA (F) sometimes in the month of October, 2019 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently induce one Mr. Ismail Adewole Oladipupo, an unsuspecting job seeker and collected the sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira only N700,000.00 from him which sum was paid into your private account under the guise of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency. (NASDRA), AND you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria.”
In the course of the trial, ICPC’s Prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, Esq. led evidence before the court on how the convict dishonestly induced her victims in the guise of securing employment for them with government agencies like Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Furthermore, the documentary evidence tendered shows that the convict fraudulently forged a letterhead paper of the Office of the Chief of Staff to former President Muhammad Buhari, Abba Kyari and his signature.
The letter, addressed to the Chairman of ICPC was a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the Commission. However, the late Chief of Staff, in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as exhibit distanced himself or his office for authorising the letter.
In his judgement, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad convicted the mother of five children on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5 that deal on cheating and forgery while she was discharged on count 4 that deals with felony.
