ICPC
ICPC arraigns Niger
ICPC
ICPC arraigns Niger Delta Ministry Staff over Forged
Certificates
A woman who secured employment into the Federal Civil Service
with fake credentials has been nabbed and arraigned by the
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC).
The Commission dragged Oden Alison Akpama before Hon. Justice
Anna Akobi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court 36 sitting
in Kwali, Abuja on a 9-count charge bordering on making false
statements and forgery.
ICPC counsel, Kioba Kio Anabraba told the court that Akpama had
sometime in 2013, allegedly made a false statement to the Chairman
of the Federal Civil Service Commission, in which she claimed to
have obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University
of Calabar in 2011 and a national youth service exemption letter
from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2012, with which
she got employed into the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and
thereafter earned salaries from October 2013 to July 2018 to the
tune of N2, 845, 654. 06.
The offence is contrary to Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under
Section 25(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Act 2000.
The court also heard that Akpama allegedly forged a University
of Calabar degree and an NYSC exemption certificate which she used
to gain employment in 2013, an offence that is contrary to Section
363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law (Cap 89
Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963).
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charges when they
were read to her.
Relying on all the paragraphs of his bail application, the defence
counsel, Joseph Myong, urged the court to grant his client bail in
liberal terms.
“The defendant has been on administrative bail from ICPC which
she has kept faithfully and if granted bail, she will always make
herself available for trial”, he prayed.
Even though the ICPC counsel did not oppose the application, she
however, appealed to the court to give conditions that will compel
the defendant to always be in court throughout the period of
trial.
In her ruling, Justice Akobi granted the accused person bail in
the sum of N1 million and a surety in like sum. The surety must not
be below Grade Level 10 in the employment of the Federal Government
and must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
Other conditions were that the surety should present an office
identity card and a driver’s licence or National ID card. The
surety should also sign an undertaking to ensure that the accused
is always in court for her trial.
The matter was then adjourned to 18th and 20th of June, 2019 for
hearing.
Signed: Mrs Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, mni
Spokesperson for the Commission