The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that it did not issue the discharge certificate allegedly presented by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, during his ministerial screening at the National Assembly.
An assistant director in the NYSC Department of Certification, Yusuf Abubakar Jumare, disclosed this while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the corruption trial instituted against Nnaji by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Nnaji is facing six charges bordering on alleged corruption, fraud, conferment of corrupt advantage on himself and providing false information. The allegations are linked to claims that he forged and presented a National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate and a university degree certificate.
While being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Jimoh Abdulmumini (SAN), Jumare explained that the NYSC examined the disputed discharge certificate following a request from the ICPC.
He identified four irregularities which, according to him, indicated that the document was not issued by the corps.
First, Jumare said the certificate was allegedly issued in 1985 but carried an identification prefix beginning with the letter ‘A’, which the NYSC only introduced in 1990.
He also pointed out that the document contained a four-digit call-up number, 0137, whereas certificates issued in 1985 had five-digit call-up numbers.
The witness further noted that the certificate indicated that its holder completed 13 months of national service instead of the standard 12-month period.
Additionally, he told the court that the document did not carry the signature of the NYSC director-general who held office at the time it was supposedly issued.
During the proceedings, the prosecution presented correspondence exchanged between the ICPC and the NYSC concerning the disputed certificate. The court admitted the documents as exhibits.
However, the defence team, led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), reserved its objection to their admissibility.
The defence also complained that it had not received copies of the documents before they were presented in court. In response, Abdulmumini explained that he had only recently taken over the case and promised to serve the defence with the relevant materials.
During cross-examination by Bode Olanikpekun (SAN), Jumare maintained that the NYSC did not issue the certificate presented before the court.
He explained that his department was responsible for keeping the agency’s certificate records and that discharge certificates were issued to corps members only after they had completed their service year.
The witness also described the mobilisation process, explaining that universities forward the names of their graduates to the NYSC. The agency subsequently sends call-up letters to the institutions for onward collection by the prospective corps members.
However, Jumare admitted during cross-examination that he had not verified whether the NYSC had ever issued a discharge certificate to Nnaji.
Following the proceedings, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the case until November 30 for the continuation of the witness’s cross-examination.
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