Certificate forgery: Why we prosecute Adeleke, spare Adeosun – Poilce

The police will on October 31 arraign the Peoples Democratic
Party governorship candidate in the recent Osun State election,
Senator Ademola Adeleke, for alleged examination malpractice,
criminal conspiracy, and impersonation.

The police also accused the senator of presenting a forged birth
certificate, stating that in his National Examination Council 2017
result obtained by detectives, he claimed that he was born on June
12, 1997, but in his statement to the police, the senator wrote May
13, 1960 as his date of birth.

Adeleke would be arraigned alongside his co-accused – Sikiru
Adeleke; the Principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Alhaji
Aregbesola Mufutau; a worker who handled the registration of
candidates for NECO in the school, Mr. Gbadamosi Ojo; and a teacher
who allegedly facilitated the crime, Mr. Dare Olutope.

Adeleke’s arraignment under the Examination Malpractice Act, CAP
E15, 2004, failed to hold on Tuesday following his absence before
Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The Force had a few days to the Osun election, filed criminal
charges against the PDP governorship candidate and four others at
the Federal High Court and directed him to report to the Special
Investigation Panel, Force headquarters, Abuja, immediately to
answer the charges.

The arraignment was, however, suspended by the Presidency
following criticisms by Nigerians who felt that the action was
politically motivated and calculated to humiliate him and frustrate
his electoral chances.

The police had explained that on July 21, 2017, the Osun State
Police Intelligence Bureau received and acted on an actionable
intelligence about an ongoing examination malpractice involving
Senator Adeleke and Sikiru at Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in
the state.

But while the police were taking steps to prosecute Adeleke, the
Force failed to investigate or prosecute a former Minister of
Finance, Kemi Adeosun, for certificate forgery.

Adeosun resigned as minister on September 14 following an
investigation which indicted her for presenting a forged National
Youth Service Corps exemption certificate.

She subsequently left for London, United Kingdom less than 24
hours after tendering her resignation letter.

The police claimed that they had no idea that she was involved
in the forgery of the NYSC exemption certificate.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, told our
correspondent in Abuja on Friday, that there was no formal
complaint against the ex-minister. He explained that Adeosun was
not prosecuted for forgery because she was not investigated by the
Force.

“We don’t know anything about her case because nobody reported
any matter to us, we didn’t have any complaint against her, and
nobody complained or reported to us. The Force has no knowledge of
any case,” Moshood stated.

When told that the matter was covered by the media for months,
he retorted, “Did you (our correspondent) report to us?”

Reminded that a non-governmental organisation, Human and
Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre, had petitioned
the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to probe the
forgery allegations against Adeosun before she resigned, Moshood
directed further inquiries to the NGO.