ONE Ramat Mercy Mba, a businesswoman and mother of five children, has been found guilty of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, a former chief of staff to immediate past Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mba was convicted by a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, presided over by Ibrahim Mohammad.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare, on Sunday, May 12.
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It stated, however, that the judge deferred the sentencing of Mba till Thursday, May 16, 2024, but directed that she be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.
The ICIR reported in June 2022 that Mba was arraigned by the anti-graft agency for allegedly defrauding job seekers of N4.5 million.
She was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery, which according to the ICPC is contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and Sections 320 (b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.
One of the counts read: “That you Ramat Mercy Mba (F) sometimes in the month of October 2019 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently induce one Mr Ismail Adewole Oladipupo, an unsuspecting job seeker and collected the sum of N700,000.00 from him which sum was paid into your private account under the guise of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency. (NASDRA), and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria.”
In the statement on Sunday, ICPC said its lawyer, Hamza Sani, led evidence before the court on how the convict dishonestly induced her victims in the guise of securing employment for them with government agencies.
The agencies included the ICPC, Federal Inland Revenue Services, and National Space Research Development Agency.
It said the documentary evidence tendered showed that the convict fraudulently forged a letterhead paper of Kyari’s office and his signature.
Further, the letter, addressed to the chairman of ICPC, was a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the commission.
The ICPC said Kyari in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as an exhibit, however, distanced himself or his office from authorising the letter.
Delivering judgment, ICPC said the court convicted Mba on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5, which deal with cheating and forgery and discharged her on count 4, which deals with felony.