Two civil servants in the service of Niger state government have been ordered to be remanded in the prison custodies over allegations of forgery.
The state Police Command in Minna, on Tuesday, dragged the suspects, Mohammed Kudu Yusuf and Aliyu Abdullahi before the Minna Senior Magistrate Court.
They were arraigned on four count charges which bordered on criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, taking gratification in an aspect of official act and forgery.
The Police prosecutor, Inspector Aliyu Malami said the four count charges contravened sections 97,314,115 and 364 of the penal code law.
They are both staff of the Ministry of Mining and Niger State Universal Basic Education Board( NSUBEB) respectively.
The two civil servants, both residents of Minna, were alleged to have deceived one Aminu Adamu of Shango area of Minna, and Bala Emmanuel of Sauka-Kahuta area also of Minna, jointly conspired among themselves and were also said to have “breached the trust reposed in them and intentionally deceived candidates into paying the sum of N280, 000.00 under the pretence of offering them provisional appointment with the State Primary Health Care Development agency and Niger State Basic Education Board( NSUBEB) knowing fully well that it was a fraudulent transaction, ‘and obtaining money under false pretence and converted same to your own personal use and issued them with forged and fake appointment letters.’
The prosecutor further told the court that upon receiving such a report, the Police detectives swiftly swung into action and effected the arrest of the two defendants.
During police investigation, the sum of N180,000 was recovered and handed over to the plaintiffs, under further investigation the accused persons were said to have both confessed to have committed the offence.
When the four count charges were read to them by the Presiding Senior Magistrate Ahmed Musa Aliyu, they both pleaded guilty to the charges.
However, the prosecuting Police officer, Inspector Aliyu Malami, applied for the conviction of both defendants under summary trial in accordance to the provision of section 157 of the criminal procedure code (CPC).
