The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has prosecuted Baba Mohammed for allegedly forging a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Abuja and a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate.
The case, heard before Justice A.Y. Shafa at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Nyanya, centers on four counts of forgery tied to Mohammed’s purported attempt to secure employment at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) using falsified documents.
Court documents reveal that in August 2010, Mohammed allegedly possessed a forged NYSC exemption letter (ID: NYSC/CMD/LT. No. 201201201; Serial No. 15440), fraudulently presented as authentic documentation to bypass mandatory national service.
The charges, under Section 368 of Nigeria’s Penal Code Act, carry potential penalties for forgery-related offenses.
One of the charges against Mohammed reads, “That you, BABA KUDU MOHAMMED, sometime in August 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession a forged Letter of Exemption from National Service bearing your name with identification number NYSC/CMD/LT. No. 201201201 and serial number 15440, purportedly issued by the National Youth Service Corps Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 368 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 53, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
Mohammed entered a plea of not guilty to all counts during arraignment, with the prosecution counsel Hamza Sani confirming the ICPC’s readiness to proceed, citing two witnesses prepared to testify.
Defense attorney M.E. Abubakar successfully petitioned for bail, which the court granted under undisclosed conditions after no opposition from the prosecution.
The case has been adjourned till March 3, 2025, when hearings are set to commence.
This prosecution underscores the ICPC’s intensified efforts to curb credential fraud and uphold integrity in Nigeria’s employment systems, particularly within public-sector recruitment.
