Court adjourns AMAC chairman’s arraignment for alleged certificate forgery indefinitely

The Dutse Magistrates’ Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned the arraignment of the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr. Christopher Maikalangu, indefinitely.

The Chief Magistrate, Abdullahi Ilela, adjourned the case pending the outcome of a judicial review at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.

He adjourned the matter after Maikalangu’s lawyer, Charles Okoye, informed the court that the case had been subjected to a judicial review before Justice Aliyu Shaffa of the FCT High Court.

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Awalu Mohammed, filed a complaint against the AMAC chairman in the case with No. CR/DUT/324/25, dated March 24.

The complainant had alleged that Maikalangu submitted a forged first school leaving certificate from Festival Road Primary School to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on January 8, 2013.

He alleged that the forged certificate was among other documents included in his “INEC FORM C.F. 001, for councillorship position, knowing it to be forged and with intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine.”

Mohammed also alleged that the AMAC chairman submitted a forged first school leaving certificate from LEA Model Science Primary School to the commission in May 2021.

READ ALSO: Tribunal sacks NNPP Rep in Kano over certificate forgery

At Friday’s proceeding, counsel to the complainant, Job Israel, told the court that the matter was scheduled for mention and that he was ready to proceed.

Although Okoye did not oppose Israel’s submission, he informed the court that the matter is presently before the FCT High Court and that an order had already been served on the court.

He said all efforts made to effect the service of the order on the complainant were unsuccessful.

“We are constrained to serve the complainant’s counsel the order, but his contact was not available,” he said.

Okoye, therefore, urged the court to allow the matter to comply with the judicial review order.

Israel, who did not object, admitted that by virtue of the order of the high court, his client was bound by same.

He, however, prayed for an accelerated hearing in the matter.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now