A high court in Jabi, Abuja, has convicted Martins Ugwu for impersonating his friend, George Daniel Davidson, and using his credentials to secure employment at the Federal Ministry of Health.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) announced the verdict, indicating that it had filed a seven-count charge against Ugwu in February 2016.
The court found Ugwu guilty of making false statements to the chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, which facilitated his employment in 2006.
Over the course of ten years, Ugwu received a total of N17.2 million in salaries and benefits while misrepresenting himself as a qualified medical doctor. This conduct violated Section 25(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act of 2000.
Also, Ugwu used forged documents to acquire a staff identity card, apply for annual leave, and enrol in a postgraduate program in epidemiology, which could have led to a master’s degree. During the sentencing hearing, ICPC counsel Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha urged the court to mandate Ugwu to repay the N17.2 million he fraudulently earned.
Presiding Judge Abubakar Idris Kutigi expressed condemnation of Ugwu’s actions and emphasized the significant issue of unqualified medical practitioners in the country.
The judge asserted that the sentencing serves as a necessary deterrent to others considering similar fraudulent activities. Ultimately, Ugwu was sentenced to six months for each of the seven charges, resulting in a total of three and a half years in prison.
The court ordered Ugwu to refund the N17.2 million, with a stipulation that failure to comply would lead to an extra year in prison.
