Mother Of Five Jailed For Forging Late Abba Kyari’s Signature

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, has sentenced Ramat Mba, a mother of five, to one-year imprisonment for her involvement in an elaborate employment scam and forgery.

Naija News reports that the court found Mba guilty of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff.

The Honourable Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, who presided over the case, delivered the verdict on Thursday.

The verdict followed a detailed prosecution led by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The commission had charged Mba in June 2022 with five counts of cheating, fraud, and forgery, rooted in laws against corrupt practices and the penal code of Northern Nigeria.

During the trial, the ICPC prosecutor, Hamza Sani, provided evidence of Mba’s fraudulent activities in 2020, where she illicitly collected N4.5 million from various job seekers.

She had falsely promised them employment at the ICPC and the National Air Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

Further exacerbating her crimes, Mba was shown to have fraudulently forged the letterhead and signature of the late Abba Kyari in a letter purportedly sent to the ICPC Chairman. This letter requested the recruitment of three individuals.

However, it was revealed during the trial that the late Chief of Staff had issued a written denial, confirming he never authorized such correspondence, which was also presented in court as evidence.

The spokesperson for the ICPC, Demola Bakare, relayed that Justice Muhammad convicted Mba on four of the five counts.

While she was acquitted of a felony charge, she faced a six-month jail term or a choice of a N100,000 fine for the first three counts related to cheating.

For the more severe count of forgery, the judge imposed a one-year imprisonment or a N150,000 fine.

In his sentencing remarks, Justice Muhammad considered Mba’s status as a first-time offender and her responsibilities as a mother. Despite these considerations, the severity of her actions merited significant penal consequences.

The case highlights ongoing efforts by Nigerian judicial authorities to combat corruption and fraud, particularly in public sector recruitment processes, ensuring that such deceptive practices are met with appropriate legal repercussions.