By Uche Onyeali
Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Mr Christopher Maikalangu was absent Thursday at Dutse Magistrate Court for his arraignment.
Maikalangu, who was scheduled to take his plea before Chief Magistrate Abdullahi Ilela of Court I over alleged certificate forgery, was said to be indisposed.
The direct criminal complaint was instituted by a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and a resident of AMAC, Awalu Mohammed.
In case number CR/DUT/324/25 dated March 24, the AMAC chairman is the sole accused person.
When the case was called yesterday, Job Israel, who appeared for the complainant, said the matter was listed for mention and that he was ready to proceed.
However, Maikalangu’s lawyer, Charles Okoye apologised that his client was not in court due to health issues.
Okoye said a letter dated April 23 was written to the court and a subsequent letter dated April 24 was also sent to communicate his state of health and why the defendant would not be in court.
The lawyer said in their earlier letter, they sought an adjournment to May 28, to afford his client the opportunity to recuperate.
Israel expressed sadness over the development.
He said despite the fact that the defence had written letters to the court before the sitting, they are yet to be served the copies.
The lawyer also disagreed that the document attached to the letter was not a medical report as claimed by Okoye.
He argued that April 23, which was on the patient’s appointment slip, was sufficient enough for Maikalangu to have procured his medical report with which to actually persuade the court that he was truly ill.
Israel, however, did not oppose the application for adjournment by Okoye.
“We will be concede on the strength of my learned senior friend’s statement, speaking from the bar, but not on the document before the court.
“We will concede to two weeks adjournment at their instance and in the interest of justice,” he said.
Responding, Okoye said it was misleading for Israel to submit that the document provided was not evidence of medical report.
The lawyer said the document equally stated Maikalangu’s next appointment date, adding that it was surprising to say that this document is not an evidence of medical report.
The magistrate adjourned the matter until May 23 for arraignment or mention.
The complainant had alleged that Maikalangu, on or about January 8, 2013, at the FCT Independent National Electoral Commission’s, INEC, office at Area 10, Garki District, Abuja, submitted a forged first school leaving certificate from Festival Road Primary School (1983-1989) to the commission.
He alleged that the forged certificate was among other submitted documents included in his “INEC FORM C.F. 001, for councillorship position, knowing it to be forged and with intent that it may in anyway be used or acted upon as genuine.”
Mohammed also alleged that the AMAC chairman, on or about May 8, 2021 submitted a forged first school leaving certificate from LEA Model Science Primary School (1984-1989) to INEC for election purpose.
He said the document was submitted alongside the court affidavit for statutory declaration of age and for correction of name on voter’s card, “knowing them to be forged and with intent that they may in anyway be used or acted upon as genuine.”
He accused the chairman of committing the offence of forgery contrary to Sections 362(a), 363 and 264 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In the verifying affidavit in support of the application, Mohammed said he was duty bound to expose the commission of crime(s) by any person, including the defendant, public officials, agencies or institutions howsoever described, whose acts could embarrass and dent the prestige and good name of Nigeria.
“Consequently, I have filed this direct criminal complaint against the defendant.”
