By Innocent Anaba

The Committee set up by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, to investigate the case of forgery and fraud perpetrated by Dr. Obinna Uzor in his bid to unseat Senator Ifeanyi Ubah has recommended the dismissal of three officers of the court, while others were recommended for demotion for their roles in the forgery of court documents.

Uzor had allegedly used fake and forged documents and, in connivance with some court officials, tried to unseat Ubah as the Senator repress Anambra South senatorial district.

The committee, in its 37-page report dated June 1, 2020, established that the court officials connived with Dr. Uzor and his lawyers to perpetrate fraud and forgery of documents of the court.

ALSO READ: Unfair protests on the appointment of new judges

According to the Committee’s report signed by its Chairman, Madugu Mohammed Alhaji, and Secretary, Aminu Audu, “the Committee, after investigation and careful study of evidence adduced and all the exhibits tendered, discovered that the entire suit contracted in CV/3044/18 was a fraud and does not exist in the FCT High Court record.

“The purported suit was not assigned by the Chief Judge and not found on any court register except the mutilated register in the process unit.

“The Chief Judge’s signature was forged and dated on the receipt of payment; processes were all altered to October 2018, to make the purported suit filed on September 25, 2019 look like a pre-election matter.

“The committee discovered that out of the six receipts checked by the Head of Revenue, four of them were not allocated to the FCT High Court. This means that those receipts were used to perpetrate the fraud.”

The committee further discovered that some of the staff of the High Court were part of the fraud.

Kingsley Ebibrah, a Registrar who was part of the alteration to the date was found guilty of gross misconduct, which is inimical to the service, was recommended for dismissal from the service of the FCT High Court.

Micheal Enuenwosu, an Assistant Executive Officer was found guilty of gross misconduct and was recommended for dismissal from service.

Maku Felix, a Senior Executive Officer was also found guilty of gross misconduct and recommended for dismissal from service, while Ibrahim Yau, an Assistant Chief on Grade Level 14 was demoted and relieved of his appointment as Commissioner Of oaths.

Abiodun Kolawole, a Chief Clerical officer, was also recommended for demotion in rank; Iraq Umar, a Principal Registrar 11, was also recommended for demotion in rank, while Shaibu Alhassan, an Appeal Unit Staff was exonerated of all charged against him.

Specifically, Senator Ubah had through his counsel, Chukwuemeka Nwuigwe, petitioned the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court on what they perceived as unprecedented fraud in the history of the Nigerian Judiciary.

He alleged that the staff altered, mutilated and backdated processes of an unassigned suit to cause damage to him.

The Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court had dismissed Uzor’s appeals for lack of territorial jurisdiction.

Vanguard