Certificate Forgery: Ex-NECO Employee Arraigned by ICPC
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Certificate Forgery: Ex-NECO Employee Arraigned by ICPC
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Mrs. Rose Deffi, a former employee of the National Examination Council (NECO), over allegations of certificate forgery.
The trial was initially scheduled for May 30, 2024, before Honourable Justice G.D. Fwomyon at the Plateau State High Court.
However, it was postponed due to the defendant’s absence. The court ordered that Mrs. Deffi be served the charge sheet through substituted means and be produced in court by her lawyer at the next hearing.
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When the case was called on Friday, Mrs. Deffi appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to all seven counts of forgery against her.
Following her plea, ICPC counsel Mr. O.G. Iwuagwu requested another date for the trial’s commencement.
The defense counsel, Mr. P.M. Lere, did not oppose this request but asked the court to consider the bail application for his client.
Mr. Iwuagwu did not oppose the bail application but requested the court to set conditions to ensure the defendant’s availability for trial.
After hearing arguments from both counsels, Justice Fwomyon granted Mrs. Deffi bail at N2 million with two sureties of the same amount. The case was adjourned until September 26, 2024, for trial commencement.
This case stems from a 2020 nationwide certificate verification exercise conducted by NECO, which resulted in 89 staff members being indicted for using fake certificates.
The Council’s Governing Board subsequently approved their dismissals and referred their cases to the ICPC and the Nigerian Police for prosecution.
