Court Sacks Former Plateau Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Baba Hassan For Certificate Forgery

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Yakubu Busari

A Federal High Court in Jos has sacked a Plateau State lawmaker, Ibrahim Hassan, for forging his academic certificate, ordered, that he pays N30 million as compensation to the plaintiff counsel and for General damages.

The lawmaker had claimed to have obtained a business administration diploma from the University of Jos

The court being presided over by Hon. Justice Musa Kurya orders for the sacking of Plateau State lawmaker Ibrahim Baba Hassan, who is currently representing Jos North-North in the Plateau state House of Assembly.

The former deputy speaker, Baba Hassan was dragged to court since 2015 by Abdul Nasir Saleh challenging the authenticity of the Diploma Certificate in Business which the Lawmaker claimed he obtained from the University of Jos.

Saleh who contested party primaries with the sacked lawmaker on the platform of All Progressive Congress in 2015 where he came second, Approached  the court seeking Declaration that the information that the lawmaker possess a diploma certificate in Business Administration (Lower Credit) from the University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria on 25th November 1996 or is a holder of a Diploma (BUS)“ Administration (Lower Credit) of the University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria of 25th November 1996 of which the 1st Defendant stated and supplied in Affidavit in support of Personal Particulars of Persons seeking election to Office/Membership of Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North Constituency of Plateau State sworn in the Registry of the High Court, on the 16th December, 2014 to the Independent National Electoral Commission is false.

He also Declared that the 1st Defendant was not qualified to contest election into Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North Constituency in view of the fact that the information that the 1st Defendant possesses or is a holder of a Diploma in Business Administration (Lower Credit) of the University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria on 25‘” November 1996 or is a holder of a Diploma in Business Administration (Lower Credit) of the Universnty of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria dated 25‘“ November 1996 which the 1st Defendant stated and supplied in his Affidavit in Support of PersonaI Particulars of Persons seeking election to the Office/Membership of Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North Constituency of Plateau State sworn in the Registry of the High Court, Jos on the 16th December, 2014, which the 1St Defendant submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, is false.

A Declaration that the plaintiff is the rightful candidate of the 2nd Defendant in the election into the Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of the Jos North-North Constituency of Plateau State held on the 11th April, 2015, being the onIy qualified aspirant in the Primary Election held by the 2nd Defendant to nominate its candidate for the said election concerning the Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North Constituency of Plateau State, to have contested the said election.

and that, An Order disqualifying the 1st Defendant as the Candidate of the 2nd Defendant for election to the Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North Constituency of Plateau State held on the 11th April, 2015, on the ground of violation of Section 31 (5) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and non fulfilment of the constitutional requirement to conduct the said election.

Both counsels to the plaintiff, first, second and third defendants filed the in oral and written submissions culminating to the final determination of the case.

In his judgement however, the presiding Judge, Justice Musa Kurya said there is no trace of proof that the certificate submitted to INEC by the lawmaker is genuinely obtained from University Jos.

The Judge also in his ruling said ” I wonder a person whose diploma certificate is proved to have been forged is sitting and making law. I wonder the laws that he will make for the development of his constituency and by extension, the state as a whole”.

Kurya further submitted that other additional degree certificate obtained by the accused using the contentious diploma which has been proved to be forged, said you can’t build something out of nothing.

He however granted all the prayers sought by the plaintiff to include payment N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) being the total legal fees for prosecuting this matter from inception. N25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five Million Naira) as General Damages.

In Addition to N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) being the cost of filing this action.

The Judge however, called on the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) and State House of Assembly to take not of this judgement.

Responding, the former Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Baba-Hassan told our correspondent in a telephone interview that he is heading  to the  appeal court to challenge the judgement of the high court.

He said, I graduated in the same University of Jos with a diploma certificate and gained admission to study for  first degree  and second degree in the same institution but the registrar told the court that  I was a student of the  institution but I didn’t  finish  the program .

Baba-Hassan expressed displeasure with the manner that affected the issue of certificate forgery which the plaintiff failed to prove it before the Honourable court sitting.

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