The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, has fixed November 26 to hear a motion seeking an order compelling the police to investigate and prosecute Mr Chijioke Nwankwoeze over alleged certificate forgery.
Mr Nwankwoeze, a director of land administration at the Federal Capital Territory Administration, is accused of presenting a forged National Diploma certificate from Kwara State Polytechnic.
Justice Ekerete Akpan fixed the date following a motion ex parte filed by the applicant, the Incorporated Trustees of Dependable Patriots for Nation Building and Transformation Initiative.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2050/2025, was dated and filed on September 26 by its team of lawyers, led by Abdulkabir Badmos.
The applicant had sued the inspector general of police, the Nigeria Police Force, and Mr Nwankwoeze Williamson Chijioke as first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
It sought two reliefs, including an order of mandamus compelling the first and second defendants to investigate and prosecute the third defendant for the allegations of forgery of the polytechnic’s statement of results.
It was alleged that the third defendant used the said certificate in gaining employment in the civil service of the federation.
It also sought an order granting leave to the applicant to serve the originating motion on notice, hearing notices, and other subsequent processes in the case on the 3rd defendant by substituted means.
The initiative requested that the court permit the service of court documents on the officials at the FCTA’s land administration section, located at No. 4, Peace Drive, Central Business District, Abuja.
Giving a 10-ground argument, the lawyer said the initiative was a not-for-profit organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission under the relevant laws.
Mr Badmos said that part of the objectives of the initiative’s registration was to uphold justice, fight corruption, and promote accountability and transparency in public offices. He stated that the plaintiff had written a letter to the IG and police, requesting investigations into allegations that Mr Nwankwoeze had submitted a fake statement of result to gain employment in the federal civil service.
According to him, forgery or the presentation of fake documents to procure an undue advantage is a serious offence in our country, and prosecutory agencies shouldn’t be seen to be shielding public officers from prosecution. The lawyer said that unless the court compels the IG and police to investigate and prosecute Mr Nwankwoeze, they would continue to look the other way from these grave allegations.
Mr Badmos said there is a reasonable cause to believe that service of the processes on Nwankwoeze’s office would bring the existence of the suit to his attention.
The lawyer, who stated that the court has the authority to compel the I-G and police to perform their statutory duties, said it is in the interest of justice and good governance to grant the application.
In the affidavit in support of the ex parte motion, deposed to by Emmanuel Nwosu, the executive secretary of the initiative, it was alleged that Mr Nwankwoeze had used the forged result to gain admission into the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Anambra.
Mr. Nwosu said the organisation receives anonymous tip-offs and petitions from whistleblowers, notifying it of any perceived corruption.
He stated that in one of those tip-offs, the organisation was reliably informed that the 3rd defendant had forged a statement of result dated 16th January 1997, in respect of the award of a diploma in Architectural Technology.
He alleged that the certificate was purportedly from Kwara State Polytechnic in order to gain employment in the federal civil service.
According to Mr Nwosu, a copy of the said statement of result is attached and marked as ‘Exhibit C’. He further alleged that Mr Nwankwoeze had used the fake result to gain admission into Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Anambra.
(NAN)