Court orders arrest of Kaduna House member over alleged certificate forgery

By Luka Binniyat

KADUNA- A Chief Magistrate in Kaduna State has ordered the arrest of a member of the state House of Assembly, representing Zango Kataf State constituency, Hon. Esther Abba, for failing to appear before it on charges of certificate forgery.

Chief Magistrate Martins Ishaya in a bench warrant he issued yesterday at Zango Kataf ordered that the legislator be arrested and kept in prison custody until next Wednesday when she should be brought before his court to face trial.

Ishaya gave the order when he observed that Hon. Abba failed to appear before his court to answer charges of serially forging her primary, secondary school and a diploma certificate to enable her stand for elections.

Two months ago, the Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Hassan Jumare, was also embroiled in allegations that he forged his secondary school certificate to qualify for elections.

The Magistrate said the allegations against Hon. Abba were criminal in nature, warning that the accused has to appear in person to defend herself, either with or without a counsel.

Counsel to the accused, Mr. E. D Gwada had defended his client’s absence in court, saying that the trial could go on without her being physically present in court.

However, the Magistrate insisted that the accused person must be brought to court as he was unimpressed by the legislator’s absence, after he confirmed through the court bailiff that she duly served the summons.

Allegations

Abba was sued by Mr. Francis Kozah, former vice chairman of Zangon Kataf local government, who alleged that “Mrs. Esther Abba falsely declared on oath before the Commissioner for Oath, High Court of Justice, Kaduna and orally at home that her first school leaving certificate which she purportedly said was issued to her upon the completion of her primary education at LEA Primary School, Sako, Zangon Kataf LGA in 1984 got lost and published same with intention to induce, deceive members of the public including the electorate and natives within villages of Zangon Kataf and its environs into believing she possessed a primary school certificate obtained from the said school when she knew that she neither attended the said school.”

Abba was also accused of lying that she attended and completed her secondary school education at the Government Day Secondary School, Zangon Kataf, and also reportedly obtained a diploma in Public Administration in 2005, “when clearly she knew she never attended any such diploma awarding college in 2005.”

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Istifanu Toma of Ayika Law Chambers, alleged that the accused person committed offences of perjury and cheating contrary to sections 140, 157, 163, 95, 323 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria. The matter was adjourned till next Wednesday.