NSCDC Officer Jailed for 7 Years over Certificate Forgery and Corruption

A court in Abuja has sentenced a senior officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Hassan Abdullahi, to a combined seven years in prison for certificate forgery and corrupt enrichment.

Presiding judge Justice E. Okpe of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Gudu, found Abdullahi guilty on two counts. The first count — forging a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) from the Adamu Augie College of Education — earned him two years in jail (or a ₦2 million fine option).

The second count — misusing that forged certificate to secure promotions and draw pay as a Senior Inspector from December 2011 to October 2022 — carried a five‑year prison term with no fine option.

Additionally, the court ordered Abdullahi to repay all salaries, allowances, and other benefits he received during the period he illegitimately held the higher rank.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which brought the case, described the ruling as a strong message of the judiciary’s resolve to fight corruption and emphasised the need for strict verification of staff credentials to prevent similar abuses.