A group, going by the name Advocate Against Corruption has sent a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), asking him to arrest the publisher of a Zaria, Kaduna base Desert Herald magazine, Mr. Tukur Mamu for alleged certificate forgery.
The group, shich is said to be an umbrella body of teeming Nigerian young professionals both at home and in the Diaspora, united in the cause of fighting corruption and impunity in Nigeria, said that unless something is done urgently to save the situation by the authorities of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the entire academic process of the first generation university may soon be ridiculed and brought into avoidable disrepute following a certificate scandal involving the university and Mr. Mamu.
In an open letter dated 10th November, 2015 and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, they called on him to immediately arrest and prosecute Mr. Tukur Mamu over forgery of academic certificate and cheating.
The group’s three-page letter to the IGP was signed by Barr. Peter U. Ejike, National Coordinator and Barrister Vera G. Onoja, National Secretary. It was copied to the ICPC, EFCC, VC, ABU, Zaria, NUJ, Nigerian Press Council, SGF, Attorney-General & Minister for Justice, National Universities Commission and others.
It called on the IGP to arrest and arraign Mamu on a case of forgery and cheating, contrary to Sections 277 and 321 of the Penal Code.
The group’s petition read in part as follows:
“It has been brought to our knowledge that Mr. Tukur Mamu claimed to have obtained a degree in Mass Communication from the Institut Superieur de Technologie et de Management (ISTM) in Niamey, Niger Republic. With the said forged Certificate, Tukur Mamu has been holding himself out to the unsuspecting public as a journalist and has been publishing the Desert Herald News Magazine. He equally sought and obtained admission into Post Graduate School of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for a Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy.
“Without any verification and/or possibly, in conspiracy with Tukur Mamu, the authorities of A.B.U Zaria did not only admit but also graduated the said Tukur Mamu based on presentation of the forged degree certificate.
“Investigations have now revealed that Tukur Mamu never attended the said Institut Superieur de Technologie et de Management (ISTM) in Niamey, Niger Republic. Rather, he forged a degree certificate and in cahoots with some officials of the A.B.U Zaria illegally and corruptly obtained a Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy in 2012. You are no doubt aware of the serious threat which this kind of forgery act poses to the educational sector of our country.
“For your ease of reference, the following documents backing the case against Tukur Mamu are attached as proof, marked A- D: (A- Tukur Mamu’s forged Degree Certificate; (B- Letter from A.B.U Zaria clearing Tukur Mamu; (C- Letter from Embassy of Niger Republic confirming the forgery; (D- Letter from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja to the IGP.
“It is very clear from investigation that Tukur Mamu never attended I.S.T.M in Niamey but forged the institution’s degree certificate, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 277 OF THE PENAL CODE AND UPON CONVICTION, PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTION 364 OF THE CODE WITH IMPRISONMENT FOR 14 YEARS.
“This same Tukur Mamu, parading himself as a media publisher and making defamatory publications, has since been blacklisted by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) following his indictment by a panel set up by the union to probe his activities.
“It has now come to our knowledge that investigations have been completed on the case and Tukur Mamu has been manoeuvring frantically using false claims to convince some influential persons to prevail on you to drop the case against him and abort his impending arraignment in court over certificate forgery. We have confidence in your leadership and believe that you will not waiver. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE ERA OF IMPUNITY IN OUR COUNTRY IS OVER!!!
“From the foregoing, WE HEREBY STATE AND DEMAND AS FOLLOWS:
(a) That you use your good office as a matter of urgency to order the immediate arrest and arraignment of Tukur Mamu for forgery and cheating.
(b) That your Office should set up an investigative team comprising highly professional Police officers to immediately invite and question the Authorities of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in order to ascertain those who conspired with Tukur Mamu to commit the offence and arraign them accordingly.
“We also use this medium to demand that the authorities of A.B.U. Zaria publicly withdraw the Masters Degree which the University wrongly awarded to Tukur Mamu with immediate effect.
“Please note that in furtherance of our commitment to the anti-corruption agenda of the present Administration, we may be left with no option than to resort to mass protests and occupation of strategic offices in Abuja if this petition is not accorded the deserved expeditious attention. This is because condoning any act of corruption, including certificate forgery, constitutes an attempt to ridicule and undermine the anti-corruption programme of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, which enjoys the overwhelming support of our members as well as those of the vast majority of Nigerians.”
It was learnt that investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had earlier found Mamu guilty of using a forged degree certificate to obtain admission for a Masters Degree programme at the university in 2011 and his subsequent graduation with MA in International Affairs and Diplomacy in 2012.
Efforts to each Mamu for his reaction to the allegation were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone were not going through. [myad]
