By Olawale Lamina
The Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja has sentenced a businesswoman and mother of five children, Mrs. Ramat Mercy Mba to a year jail term for her involvement in an employment fraud and forging of the signature of late Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, who died in April 17, 2020.
It would be recalled that last week, the presiding judge over the case, Justice Ibrahim Mohammad, had deferred the sentencing of the convict till Thursday, while he ordered that she should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.
According to a statement by the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC’s spokesperson and Director, Public Enlightenment and Education,
The statement added that, “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 sometime in 2020 when she collected N4.5 million from several job seekers promising to secure jobs for them with ICPC and National Air Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).”
The Commission revealed that the documentary evidence tendered shows that the convict, Mrs. Mba, fraudulently forged a letterhead paper of the Office of the Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, and his signature.
ICPC stated that the letter addressed to its Chairman, contained a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the Commission.
The statement by the ICPC informed that, in a twist, “the late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as an exhibit distanced himself or his office from authorizing the letter.”
In his judgement on the 9th of May, 2024, the trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, bright the matter to a close when he convicted the mother of five children on counts 1, 2, 3, and 5 which bothered on cheating and forgery, while she was discharged on count 4, which bothered on felony.
Justice Mohammad, during the sentencing hearing on Thursday, pronounced a six-month jail term or N100,000 option of fine on counts 1,2 and 3 for the convict.
The presiding judge, who emphasized the status of the convict as a first-time offender and a mother of five also sentenced her to one-year imprisonment or N150,000 option on fine on count 5 which borders on forgery.
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