Lawmaker arraigned for allegedly forging NYSC exemption certificate

Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja

The senator representing Bayelsa Central, Benson Konbowei was on Tuesday arraigned before a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo.

The senator was arraigned on three charges bordering on forgery of the National Youth Service Corps exemption certificate among others.

The senator’s health condition stalled his arraignment at the last adjourned date.

His lawyer, Gordy Uche (SAN) had told the court that his client was “medically indisposed” and submitted a medical report to substantiate his claim.

Uche said, “My lord, the defendant is medically indisposed and cannot be in court. He is on a drip. I pray the court for an adjournment. I promise to provide him at the next proceedings.”

At the resumed proceedings, he pleaded not guilty to all the counts when they were read to him.

In the suit marked: CR/028/2023, the senator was accused of fraudulently forging a document titled ‘Certificate of Exemption’ with number 000256454 and dated July 4, 2008.

The senator was said to have acted contrary to the provisions of sections 366,156 and 158 of the Penal Code Act CAP 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and was liable to punishment under Section 364 of the same Act.

Count two read, “That you, Benson Friday Konbowei, sometime in March 2014 within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory fraudulently used as genuine a certain document to wit: Certificate of Exemption Number 000256454 dated 4th of July 2008 signed by the Director-General, NYSC, Directorate Headquarters, Abuja to the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest election into the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in 2015 election, which you won and represented Southern Ijaw Constituency IV and the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District National Assembly election conducted on February 25, 2023, which you won and currently a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“And you also submitted four copies of the same forged NYSC certificate to gain admission into the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State University, Owerri, which you then knew to be a forged document and you submitted four copies of the forged Certificate of Exemption Number 000256454 dated July 4, 2008, as a compulsory requirement to the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State
University Owerri, which is a compulsory requirement to get admission into the school of postgraduate studies to study.”

The trial judge, Justice Christopher Oba
adjourned the matter till March 28 for the commencement of trial.