Court Fixes 22nd February For Judgment Over Plateau Former Deputy Speaker Baba-Hassan Alleged Certificate Forgery Case
Yakubu Busari
Finally Justice Musa Kurya has fixed 22nd of February, 2019 for judgment on pre-election suit filed challenging the former Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House Assembly, Ibrahim Baba Hassan, who is standing trial over his diploma certificate forgery obtained from the University of Jos, has finally adopted final written address .
Counsel to the first defendant ,( Rt Hon.Hassan )Barr Solomon Umoh ,SAN , told the court that the first defendant filed his written address dated 10th of February, 2019 and filed on 11th February, 2019 also filed defence accordance with the proceedings of the court.
Umoh seeks to adopt the statement as his final written address which cover the first defendant reply ,as the case of the first defendant litis between the parties ,the first defendant is an issue of disqualification against been qualify .The aged bracket to be qualify is 30 years and school leaving certificate and the plaintiff counsel claim that the first defendant presented fake certificate .
He reiterated that the plaintiff counsel can’t prove his case beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was not qualified to contest the plaintiff dance around without talking on the crime committed which is forgery .
Umoh SAN ,stressed that writing his written address PW2 in page 9 section 107 of the constitution says nobody shall be disqualify for presenting forge certificate justice is about the truth were facts and truths because everything was based on letters of correspondence .
He maintained that the plaintiff can’t prove any academic records of Ibrahim Baba-Hassan not even the registrar of University of Jos, he alleged issue must be proved.
You would that Hassan tendered an original letter written to his Counsel by the State of Commissioner Police yo the court during cross examination by plaintiff counsel, David Ibeawuchi, that he studied to obtained Diploma, in business administration which he concluded and was issued the diploma in 1994.
“I attended two tertiary institutions, I went to the University of Jos, and I also went to the National Open University of Nigeria, his University of Jos, diploma certificate was used to apply for a degree”.
Meanwhile, the plaintiff counsel David Ibeawuchi applies to amend the date of filing 7th February, 2019 they canvass for five issues for determination.
My Lord we adopt the written address as our final argument in support of the legal litigation.
Former Nigeria Barr Association, NBA, Chairman Ledak Dafer urged the court to dismiss the case for lack of merit and waste of time because the plaintiff failed to prove the issues of certificate forgery against the first defendant.
He said the plaintiff lack concrete evidence that the first defendant presented fake certificate to the APC, INEC as second and 3rd defendant in the suit
However, Counsel to INEC Hajiya Fatima Mohammed ,said the court should use her discretion to judge the matter but the defence counsels to 2nd and 3rd defendants, being the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Barr. Ledak Dafer, and Barr. Fatima Narogo, seeking to end the long trial.
