Nigerian Professor Remanded Over Alleged Forgery, Trespass in Abuja

• A High Court in Abuja has remanded Prof. Sani Ibrahim of ABU Zaria for alleged conspiracy, forgery, and trespassing over a land dispute in Guzape
• He and Mubarak Musa Saliu are accused of altering a company’s registration number to fraudulently claim ownership of the property
• Despite filing a preliminary objection challenging the court's jurisdiction, the judge ruled in favor of the prosecution and ordered remand until June 19

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Jabi, Abuja, has ordered the remand of Professor Sani Ibrahim, a lecturer with the Department of Biochemistry at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, over alleged involvement in a land fraud case.

The court, presided over by Justice Ademuyiwa Oyeyipo, gave the ruling on Tuesday following the arraignment of Prof. Ibrahim and one Mubarak Musa Saliu on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful entry onto a disputed property in the upscale Guzape area of Abuja.

The charges, as reported by Vanguard, were brought against them by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

ABU Prof allegedly forged documents

According to the prosecution, the accused persons—alongside others still at large—are alleged to have, in December 2024, conspired to forge company documents belonging to NEXTDORA Nigeria Limited (RC. No: 1190723) by altering the registration number to that of another firm, NETCAP INTERSWITCH (RC. No: 564478).

The altered document was then allegedly presented as genuine to lay claim to Plot No. 4411, Guzape, which is legally owned by NEXTDORA.

The police stated that the forged document was knowingly used by the defendants to fraudulently gain access to the property, constituting criminal trespass and impersonation, both of which are offences under various sections of the Penal Code Act.

The matter was originally filed on 18 April 2025 but suffered delays due to the defendants' repeated absence in court.

ABU Prof declined court summons before arrest

Prof. Ibrahim, identified as the second defendant, had reportedly ignored multiple court summons until his eventual arrest by officers of the Nigeria Police Force at the ABU Zaria campus.

When arraigned, Prof. Ibrahim pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lead counsel, R.O. Atabo (SAN), raised a Preliminary Objection contesting the court’s jurisdiction.

The defence argued that discrepancies in the prosecution’s documentation rendered the charge invalid.

Specifically, it was claimed that the document was signed by “F.A.O. Longe” while bearing a legal seal for “Longe Frank Omokhoje,” which, according to the defence, contravenes provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act and a Supreme Court decision in Yaki vs. Bagudu (2015)

The court, however, dismissed the objection, siding with the prosecution and confirming the validity of the charge.

An oral request for Prof. Ibrahim’s bail was opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Barr. Frank Longe. Consequently, Justice Oyeyipo ruled that the professor be remanded in a correctional facility pending the hearing of a formal bail application scheduled for 19 June 2025.

ICPC drags professor to court

In a similar development, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arraigned Professor Godwin Igbinoba at the Edo State High Court on charges relating to fraudulent academic certifications and document forgery.

The commission, in a statement published via its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, confirmed that Mr Igbinoba was brought before Justice A. N. Erhabor in Benin City, where he pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge leveled against him.

Source: Legit.ng