A mother of five children, Mrs. Ramat Mercy Mba, has been found guilty and convicted of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff.
The verdict was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mohammad of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Mba was charged with five counts of cheating, fraud, and forgery by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in June 2022.
The charges were 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.
Also Read: Job Racketering: ICPC Arraigns Prison Officer, Eyimoga Moses
During the trial, the ICPC‘s prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, presented evidence showing how the convict fraudulently induced her victims by promising to secure employment for them with government agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), and the ICPC.
The evidence also revealed that Mba forged a letterhead paper of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the former President, Muhammad Buhari, and his signature.
The letter was addressed to the ICPC’s Chairman, requesting the Commission’s recruitment of three individuals.
However, the late Chief of Staff distanced himself and his office from authorizing the letter in written correspondence that was also tendered in court as an exhibit.
Justice Ibrahim Muhammad convicted Mba on counts 1, 2, 3, and 5, which deal with cheating and forgery, while she was discharged on count 4, which deals with felony.
The sentencing of the convict has been deferred until Thursday, 16th of May, 2024, but she has been remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.
