[Adesewa]

   
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ) , Abuja has sentenced a senior official of the University of Ibadan , Mr . Adedeji Taiwo , to three and half years imprisonment for forging the signature of the former executive secretary of the National Universities Commission ( NUC ) , Prof . Julius Okojie .
Taiwo was araigned in July 2016 before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ( ICPC ) for forgery and making false statement to constituted authority , as well using his position to confer unfair advantage on himself .
Counsel to ICPC , Ekoi Akponimisingha told the court that the offence violated Sections 19 and 25 ( 1 ) ( a ) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act , 2000 and punishable under Section 19 and 25 ( 1 ) ( b ) of the same Act .
The commission accused Taiwo , who was a principal executive officer in charge of passage and protocol of the University of Ibadan , of presenting a forged letter purportedly from the NUC to the director in charge of Consular and Immigration Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Abuja , with intent to facilitate the approval of a Note-Verbale for one Mr . Lukemon Jegede Adedeyemi, who was not a staff of the university, to enable him attend a conference at the National University of Seoul , South Korea .
The charge sheet read that Taiwo used his position to confer unfair advantage on Adedeyemi by introducing him to the Consular and Immigration Department as a staff in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ibadan , via a letter captioned ‘Request for Note-Verbale when he knew he was not a staff of the university and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the ICPC Act , 2000 .
Justice Adeniyi found the accused guilty of the charge and sentenced him to three and half years in jail with an option to pay a fine of N 300 , 000 . 00 .