A Federal Capital Territory High Court in a resounding victory for Nigeria’s anti-corruption crusade has sentenced Hassan Abdullahi, a Superintendent with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to seven years in prison for peddling a bogus educational certificate to climb the ranks and pocket illicit perks for over a decade.
The landmark ruling by Justice E. Okpe, delivered at the Gudu Division, underscores the judiciary’s zero-tolerance stance on credential fraud that erodes public trust in security agencies tasked with safeguarding the nation.
Abdullahi’s downfall began unraveling in December 2010, when he allegedly tendered a counterfeit Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) from Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State, to the NSCDC. The forged document, prosecutors argued, was a deliberate ploy for career elevation.
During the trial, ICPC Prosecutor Mr. Hamza Sani presented damning evidence, including expert verification that exposed the certificate as a sham. “The convict dishonestly presented a forged Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE, of Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State, to the NSCDC in December 2010 for the purpose of career advancement,” Sani detailed in court filings.
The offense, breaching Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act, earned Abdullahi two years imprisonment or a N2 million fine on the first count. But the court piled on harsher reckoning for the second charge: Between December 2011 and October 2022, as a public officer, he exploited the fake credential to ascend to Senior Inspector, siphoning salaries and benefits he wasn’t entitled to.
This “corrupt advantage,” violating Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, drew a stiff five-year sentence without fine option. The terms run concurrently, totaling seven years behind bars.
Justice Okpe didn’t stop at incarceration. Invoking Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the court mandated Abdullahi refund every kobo in undue salaries, benefits, and emoluments from his fraudulent promotion until his last federal payout. “The court ordered the convict to refund all salaries, benefits, and emoluments received from the date he fraudulently upgraded his career until he ceased receiving salaries from the Federal Government,” the judgment stipulated, aiming to claw back an estimated windfall that fueled his self-enrichment.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) hailed the verdict as a “reaffirmation of the judiciary’s support in the fight against corruption, particularly in the public service where acts such as certificate forgery and corrupt self-enrichment undermine professionalism, integrity, and public trust.” In a statement, the agency recommitted to “the diligent investigation and prosecution of all forms of corruption and urges public institutions to strengthen their internal verification processes to prevent such abuses.”
This conviction is no isolated scalp in ICPC’s escalating war on graft. Just last week, on November 29, the commission notched another high-profile win, securing the conviction of Prof. Cyril Ndifon, former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), for sexual harassment and corruption. The case, stemming from a victim’s courageous testimony, prompted ICPC to roll out a groundbreaking National Policy Against Sexual Harassment, now embraced by 354 tertiary institutions nationwide. “Courage of victim central to securing Ndifon’s sexual offence conviction—ICPC says Miss TKJ’s credible testimony made verdict possible,” the agency noted, crediting the survivor’s bravery for sparking systemic reforms.
Earlier in November, ICPC dismantled a procurement racket, convicting contractor Kenneth Okezie Samuel, his firm Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd., and associates Collins Ugwu and Cosmas Okechukwu Eze on six counts of bribery, forgery, and false statements. The syndicate allegedly dangled a N6 million bribe to Federal Ministry of Works officials while submitting a phony tax clearance certificate for a lucrative contract. Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the FCT High Court, Apo, imposed concurrent two-year terms or N1 million fines per count, plus a N1 million corporate penalty, after the prosecution proved the plot “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“The evidence established a deliberate scheme by the defendants to compromise the contract award process through bribery and document forgery,” the judge ruled.
These triumphs follow a string of earlier 2025 busts, including the October conviction of retired Deputy Director Dare Adebowale Oladapo in Kwara State for age falsification to extend his tenure and snag extra salaries—he promptly refunded N200,000 in fines plus the ill-gotten gains.
In November, the agency arraigned Ms. Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo for forging a marriage certificate and UAE passport stamps to snag a UK visa, a case exposing vulnerabilities in immigration fraud.
And in July, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) staffer Iyonu Eseme was fined N50,000 for deploying a fake Trade Test Certificate to land his job.
ICPC’s blitz reflects a broader push amid Nigeria’s entrenched corruption woes, where Transparency International ranks the country 145th out of 180 on its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index. Public sector scams, from credential mills to bribe-laced tenders, siphon billions annually, stunting development and fueling inequality. Yet, as House Representatives mull amendments to bolster ICPC, the Code of Conduct Bureau, and Tribunal—proposing mandatory rehab for convicts and spousal asset exemptions—optimism flickers.
“Corruption continues to stall Nigeria’s progress, damage public confidence and erode democratic values,” warned Rep. Ademorin Akiolu during debates.
Abdullahi’s jailing sends a stark message to badge-wearing fraudsters: The era of paper tigers in uniform is over. As ICPC vows relentless pursuit, Nigerians watch warily, hoping these wins translate to cleaner governance and a fairer shot for the honest majority.