Mother Of Five Bags One-Year Jail Term For Forging Late Abba Kyari’s Signature

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

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

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had arraigned Mba on 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 200 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 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).

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

The letter, addressed to the Chairman of ICPC 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 an exhibit, distanced himself or his office from au­thorising the letter.

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