A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gudu has sentenced an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Hassan Abdullahi, to seven years imprisonment for forging his academic certificate and illegally earning salaries and promotions from it for more than a decade.
Justice E. Okpe, who delivered the judgement, found Abdullahi guilty on the two-count charge filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
The court held that Abdullahi fraudulently presented a forged Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) purportedly from Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State, to his employers in 2010 to fast-track his promotion.
For the forgery offence alone, the court sentenced him to two years in prison or a fine of ₦2 million.
The second count, however, didn’t carry an option of a fine.
The court ruled that Abdullahi corruptly enriched himself by receiving salaries, allowances, and benefits meant for the rank of senior inspector based on the forged certificate from December 2011 to October 2022.
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He was slapped with a compulsory five-year jail term.
In a rare move to claw back stolen advantage, the court also invoked Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, ordering Abdullahi to refund all salaries and benefits received through the fake promotion.
This means every kobo paid to him as a result of the forged certificate must be returned to the government coffers.
ICPC described the verdict as a “strong statement against the rising culture of certificate forgery and self-enrichment in the security and public service sectors,” warning that the commission would continue to prosecute officers who cheat the system.
The anti-graft agency also urged public institutions to strengthen verification systems, saying Nigeria’s security and integrity are undermined when officers ascend ranks based on forged academic credentials.
