Mohamed Garba
In a significant move to tackle corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two top officials of the National Boundary Commission for forgery and abuse of office. Aishatu Abdullahi, Director of Administration and Supplies, and Ghaji Rahila, Assistant Chief Accountant, were arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
A statement on Wednesday by the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, disclosed that the commission also accused Rahila of forging an admission letter from Carnegie Mellon University, Rwanda, purportedly addressed to her husband, Suleiman Mishara, to support her application for a leave of absence from the National Boundary Commission.
The statement read, “That you, Ghaji Rahila (F), and Aishatu Abdullahi (F), sometime in 2021 or thereabout in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, as Assistant Chief Accountant and Director of Administration & Supplies of the National Boundary Commission respectively, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: conferring unfair advantage by allowing Ghaji Rahila to participate in the senior staff promotion exercise at the National Boundary Commission while Galaxy Backbone Limited simultaneously employed her. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
He said the judge ordered that the sureties must also provide evidence of their first employment and last promotion, sign letters of undertaking to ensure the defendants appear in court throughout the trial and agree to imprisonment should they fail to produce the defendants in court.
Such directors must sign letters of undertaking to produce the defendants in court throughout their trial and agree to be put in prison upon failure to produce the first and second defendants in court.
The said defendants shall also deposit their travelling documents with the Registrar of the court. In the event that they (defendants) fail to meet these conditions, they should be remanded in Suleja Prison till the next adjourned date, “ Bakare quoted the judge as saying.
The ICPC accused the duo of conspiring to allow Rahila to participate in a senior promotion exercise and secure her confirmation to the rank of Chief Accountant (Level 14) at the National Boundary Commission, despite being simultaneously employed by Galaxy Backbone Limited. Rahila was also accused of forging an admission letter to facilitate her promotion.
This development is the latest in a series of efforts by the ICPC to tackle corruption in Nigeria. The commission has been actively prosecuting cases of forgery, abuse of office, and other related offenses.