Olufemi Atoyebi, Abuja

the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has said a principal inspector with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Hassa Manga, has been brought before Justice Abbas Ahman of the Kebbi State High Court 3, sitting in Birnin Kebbi, on two counts of certificate forgery.

The ICPC said in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, that Manga, who is serving in the Niger State Command of the NSCDC, was accused of procuring and presenting a forged Nigeria Certificate in Education with lower credit from the Adamu Augie College of Education, Kebbi State, using the document to secure employment with the NSCDC in 2004.

The commission stated that Manga’s luck ran out in 2016 when the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, upon suspicion that forged certificates were presented by many officers of parastatals under the ministry, wrote to the ICPC to scrutinise the credentials of the personnel presented either at the entry point or during the period of their service.

“The commission immediately swung into action and its investigation revealed that the NCE presented by Manga before he was employed by the NSCDC, which he purportedly obtained in 2001 was forged, as his name was not on the convocation list of that year,” the ICPC stated.

Counsel for the ICPC, Maskur Salisu, averred that the defendant’s action was contrary to sections 363 and 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law, adding that if found guilty, Manga was liable to 14 years’ imprisonment.

“The accused person entered a not guilty plea when the two charges preferred against him were read to him. His counsel, Hussaini Zakariya, prayed the court to grant his client bail, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel. He was granted bail in the sum of N2m and a surety in like sum, who must possess a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. The case has been adjourned till December 11 and 12, 2018 for hearing,” the statement added.

Source:- Punchng