Court Convicts Woman For Forging Signature Of Buhari’s Late Chief Of Staff, Abba Kyari

A mother of five, Ramat Mercy Mba, has been convicted by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

Justice Ibrahim Mohammad postponed the convict’s sentencing until May 16th, 2024, but ordered her to remain in the Suleja Correctional Centre.

In June 2022, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) charged Mba with five counts of cheating, fraud, and forgery. 

The charges violate Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and Sections 320 (b) and 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.

One of the counts read: “THAT you RAMAT MERCY MBA (F) sometimes in the month of October, 2019 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently induce one Mr. Ismail Adewole Oladipupo, an unsuspecting job seeker and collected the sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira only N700,000.00 from him which sum was paid into your private account under the guise of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency. (NASDRA), AND you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria.”

During the trial, the Prosecutor of the ICPC, Hamza Sani, presented evidence before the court revealing how the convict fraudulently deceived her victims by falsely claiming to secure employment for them in government agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The documentary evidence presented further proved that the convict had fraudulently forged a letterhead paper and signature of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari.

The letter was a request to the ICPC Chairman to recruit three individuals.

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

In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad convicted the mother of five on counts 1, 2, 3, and 5 for cheating and forgery. 

She was discharged on count 4, which deals with a felony.