THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has brought Hauwau Abdulkarim, the current Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) (FCET) in Gusau, and Abdullahi Boyi, a lecturer at the Sokoto State College of Education (SSCE), before the court on allegations of certificate forgery.
The two were arraigned on a six-count charge before a judge, Muhammad Aliyu Sambo at the Sokoto State High Court.
The ICPC claims the defendants forged an appointment letter, which they allegedly used to apply for the position of Provost at FCET Gusau in Zamfara State. Both defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all six charges.
This was contained in a statement on November 3, 2024, by the commission signed by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare.
Defence counsels of the duo each filed bail applications for their respective clients, urging the court to grant bail under fair terms due to the defendants established positions and cooperation during the investigation. The counsel representing the ICPC did not oppose the bail requests.
After reviewing the applications, Sambo granted bail with specific conditions aimed at ensuring the defendants’ attendance throughout the trial.
As part of the bail conditions, each defendant must present two sureties who are permanent residents of Sokoto State, with each surety required to sign a bond worth one million naira.
After bail was granted, the ICPC prosecutor requested a trial date, highlighting the Commission’s readiness to present witnesses and evidence to support the charges.
Sambo adjourned the case to November 21, 2024, for the commencement of the hearing.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org