Uni Ibadan Staff Sued by ICPC bags Three Years, Six Months Jail for Forgery
A
High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Apo,
Abuja, has sentenced a senior staff of the University of Ibadan, Mr.
Adedeji Taiwo, to three years, six months imprisonment for forging the
signature of the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities
Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie.
Taiwo was prosecuted in July 2016, before
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 4-count charge on forgery and
making false statement to constituted authority, as well using his
position to confer unfair advantage on himself.
Counsel to ICPC, Ekoi Akponimisingha told the
court that the offence violated Sections 19 and 25 (1) (a) of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable
under Section 19 and 25 (1) (b) of the same Act respectively.
The Commission accused Taiwo, who was a
Principal Executive Officer, Passage and Protocol of the University of
Ibadan of presenting a forged letter purportedly from NUC to the
Director Consular and Immigration Department, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Abuja, with intent to facilitate the approval of a Note-Verbale
for one Mr. Lukemon Jegede Adedeyemi, who was not a staff of the
University of Ibadan, to enable him attend a conference at the National
University of Seoul, South Korea.
The charge sheet read in part, “That you
Adedeji Taiwo, while being in the employment of the University of Ibadan
used your position as Principal Executive Officer, Passage and Protocol
to confer unfair advantage on one Mr. Jegede Lukemon Adedeyemi by
introducing him to the Director, Consular and Immigration Department,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a staff in the Department of Psychology,
faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, via a letter
captioned ‘Request for Note-Verbale, when you knew he is not a staff of
the said University and thereby committed an offence contrary to and
punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Act, 2000.”
The trial judge, Adeniyi, handing down the
judgment found the accused guilty of the charge and sentenced him to
three and half years in jail with an option to pay fine of N300, 000. 00
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