ICPC Arraigns National Boundary Commission Director, Chief Accountant For Forgery, Conspiracy
The defendants appeared before Justice Yusuf Halilu on Tuesday on a five-count charge of forgery, conspiracy, and abuse of office.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Mrs. Aishatu Abdullahi, Director of Administration and Supplies, and Mrs. Ghaji Rahila, Assistant Chief Accountant of the National Boundary Commission, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
The defendants appeared before Justice Yusuf Halilu on Tuesday on a five-count charge of forgery, conspiracy, and abuse of office.
ICPC alleged that the two officials conspired to enable Mrs. Rahila participate in the senior promotion exercise and secure her promotion to Chief Accountant (Level 14) while she was simultaneously employed by Galaxy Backbone Limited.
In addition, the first defendant, Mrs. Rahila, was accused of forging an admission letter from Carnegie Mellon University, Rwanda, purportedly addressed to her husband, to support her application for leave of absence at the National Boundary Commission.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Ghaji Rahila (F) and Aishatu Abdullahi (F), sometime in 2021 or thereabout in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, as Assistant Chief Accountant and Director of Administration & Supplies of the National Boundary Commission respectively, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: conferring unfair advantage when you allowed the said Ghaji Rahila to participate in the senior staff promotion exercise at the National Boundary Commission while she was at the same time in the employment of Galaxy Backbone Limited; thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Following the pleas, ICPC counsel, Fatimah Abdullahi Bardi, requested a date for the commencement of trial. Defense counsels Akinyemi Aremu and Adebayo Eniwaye moved applications for bail on behalf of their clients, which were not opposed by the prosecution.
Justice Halilu granted bail to the defendants under strict conditions, including providing two sureties each who must be Abuja residents and civil servants of director rank in a federal agency.
The sureties must sign undertakings to ensure the defendants appear in court throughout the trial or face imprisonment. The defendants were also ordered to surrender their travel documents to the court.
“The said defendants shall also deposit their travelling documents with the Registrar of the court. In the event that they (defendants) failed to meet these conditions, they should be remanded in Suleja Prison till the next adjourned date.” the judge ruled.
Failure to meet the bail conditions would result in the defendants being remanded at Suleja Prison until the next court date.
The case was adjourned to March 17, 2025, for the commencement of hearing.
