ICPC Case: Woman Convicted For Forging Abba Kyari’s Signature Jailed One-Year

By Miriam Humbe

The Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja has sentenced a business woman and mother of five children, Mrs. Ramat Mercy Mba to one-year imprisonment for her involvement in employment scam and forging of the signature of the late Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the former President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Demola Bakare, the Ag. Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/
Spokesperson for the Commission revealed this in a statement signed on Friday.

The presiding judge, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Muhammad had last week, deferred the sentencing of the convict till Thursday but directed that she should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.

ICPC had arraigned Mba in June, 2022 on a 5-count charge bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and Sections 320 (b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.

In the course of the trial, the Commission, through its Prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani had led evidence before the court on how the convict committed the offence some time in 2020 when she collected N4.5 million from several job seekers promising to secure jobs for them with the ICPC and National Air Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

Furthermore, the documentary evidence tendered shows that the convict fraudulently forged a letterhead of the Office of the Chief of Staff to former President Buhari, Abba Kyari, and his signature.

The letter, addressed to the ICPC Chairman was a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the Commission.

However, the late Chief of Staff, in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as exhibit, distanced himself or his office from authorising the letter.

In his judgement on 9th May, 2024, the trial judge, Justice Muhammad convicted the mother of five children on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5 that deal with cheating and forgery while she was discharged on count 4 that deals with felony.

Justice Muhammad, during the sentence hearing on Thursday pronounced a six-months jailed term or N100,000 option of fine on counts 1, 2 and 3 on the convict.

The presiding judge, who emphasized the status of the convict as a first time offender and a mother also sentenced her to one-year imprisonment or N150,000 option on fine on count 5 which borders on forgery.