An officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Hassan Abdullahi, has been sentenced to a total of seven years’ imprisonment for certificate forgery and corrupt self-enrichment, following his conviction by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Justice E. Okpe of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gudu, Abuja, convicted Abdullahi, a Superintendent in the corps, on a two-count charge bordering on forgery and abuse of office.
According to a statement issued by ICPC spokesperson, Okor Odey, the officer fraudulently presented a forged Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) purportedly obtained from Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State, to the NSCDC in December 2010 to unlawfully advance his career.
The prosecution, led by Hamza Sani, told the court that the fraudulent act contravened Section 366 and was punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act. The court subsequently sentenced Abdullahi to two years’ imprisonment or an option of a ₦2 million fine for the offence.
On a second count, the court found that between December 2011 and October 2022, Abdullahi abused his position as a public officer by receiving salaries and entitlements meant for the rank of Senior Inspector, which he attained through the forged certificate. This, the court ruled, violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
For the offence of corrupt enrichment, Justice Okpe sentenced the defendant to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
The court further ordered Abdullahi to refund all salaries, allowances, and other benefits received from the time he unlawfully upgraded his status until he stopped drawing government pay, in line with Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Reacting to the judgment, the ICPC described the conviction as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s resolve to combat corruption in public service, stressing that acts such as certificate forgery and illegal enrichment erode professionalism and public confidence in government institutions.
The Commission also reiterated its commitment to sustained investigation and prosecution of corrupt practices nationwide, urging public agencies to strengthen credential verification processes to curb similar infractions.