Dismissed NECO officer arraigned over certificate forgery

A former staff member of the National Examination Council (NECO), Mrs Rose Deffi, has been arraigned in court for allegedly forging the certificate she used to get employment in the organisation.

Mrs Deffi, who was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), was indicted in 2020 when NECO conducted a nationwide certificate verification exercise.

During the exercise, no fewer than 89 members of staff of the organisation were indicted for using fake certificates.

The spokesman of the ICPC, Demola Bakare, told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday that NECO’s Governing Board subsequently approved the dismissal of the indicted members of staff.

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He said their cases had since been referred to the anti-graft agency and the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution.

He explained that Deffi’s trial was first scheduled for May 30, 2024 before Justice G.D. Fwomyon of the Plateau State High Court but it was stalled due to her absence.

Bakare said the court ruled that Mrs Deffi should be served the charge sheet through a substituted means and be produced in court by her lawyer at the next hearing.

He noted that last Friday when the case was called, Mrs Deffi pleaded not guilty to all the seven counts of forgery against her.

“In the light of her plea, the ICPC counsel, Mr O.G Iwuagwu requested another date for the commencement of the trial. The defence counsel, Mr P.M Lere did not oppose this but asked the court to consider the bail application for his client.

“The ICPC counsel, Mr Iwuagwu, did not oppose the bail application but requested the court to set conditions to ensure the availability of the defendant for trial.

“The presiding judge, Justice Fwomyon, after listening to the arguments of both counsels, granted Mrs Deffi bail in the sum of N2 million, with two sureties in like sum. He adjourned the case till September 26, 2024 for the commencement of the trial,” Bakare noted.