The police Tuesday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja, a 44-year old man, Martins Ugwu Okpe, who allegedly cloned his friend’s credentials, with which he gained employment as a medical expert for about nine years with the Federal Ministry of Health.
Okpe was accused of stealing certificates of exemption of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level), all belonging to Daniel Davidson George.
He was accused, in a five-count charge brought against him, of claiming ownership of the certificates and tendered them before the Federal Civil Service Commission in Ebonyi State upon which he was offered a temporary letter of appointment dated August 30, 2006. He was arrested last June.
A recent verification exercise of professional skills of residence doctors, conducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on June 4, 2015 allegedly revealed the accused person’s true identity.
Okpe was said to have risen to become the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the Federal Ministry of Health Abuja chapter.
Count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/296/2015 reads, “That you Martins Ugwu Okpe, male, aged 44 years, of the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on or about March 13, 2006 at unspecified hour in Karu Abuja of the Abuja Division committed stealing; and did steal Certificate of Bachelor of Medicine of Surgery and National Youth Service Corps certificate of exemption dated February 8, 2005 with serial number 000027400 all property of Mr. Daniel Davidson George, being the certificate awarded to him by Academic’s Senate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State dated August 29, 2002 and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 383 and punishable under section 390 of the Criminal Code Law.”
According to the charge, Okpe’s alleged offences are contrary to sections 383 and 486 of the Criminal Code law and punishable under sections 390 and 467 of the same law.
Okpe, of average height, was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt embossed with the sign: “Africa against Ebola,” produced by the Federal Ministry of Health’s ad hoc committee on Ebola Virus Disease, where he served during the outbreak of the disease in the country last year.
Okpe pleaded not guilty to the charge, following which Justice Gabriel Kolawole grant the accused person bail in terms and conditions agreed upon by both the prosecution and defence lawyers, Malik Taiwo and O. O. Otemu.
Taiwo, who had filed a counter-affidavit to Okpe’s bail application, withdrew it in court on Tuesday.
Justice Kolawole granted bail to the accused in the sum of N1m with two sureties in the same amount.
The judge said the sureties, who should be in the employment of either the federal or state, must be not less than Grade Level 12. The court ordered that he should be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja pending when he is able to meet the bail conditions.
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