Barely a week after the publisher of the Kaduna-based Desert Herald newspaper, Mallam Tukur Mamu was nabbed and charged by the Police with criminal extortion, the controversial publisher now risks 21 years jail sentence over alleged criminal forgery and deceit.
According to a petition jointly signed by the National President, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria, Comrade Ikechukwu Chukwumere, Tijani Ali-Danjuma, National Secretary, and Splendour Agbonkpolor, Director of Mobilization, indicated that there are serious discrepancies in the secondary school certificate as well as the degree certificate which Mamu submitted to pave way for his
admission to undertake a Masters Degree Course in International Affairs and Diplomacy at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The petition further showed that the attention of the Inspector General of Police and the National Universities Commission, NUC, has been drawn over an alleged criminal forgery of certificate perpetrated by Mamu.
The petitioners stated that the address given as the location of the school attended by the publisher is a workshop in Niamey, Niger Republic has no such school as Institute of Advanced Technology and Management Studies in sight.
“the ‘O’ Level Certificate bearing examination number 419014329 submitted by Mamu for his Masters Degree admission at ABU, Zaria in February 2011 was dated May/June 2010.
It is inconceivable that somebody who obtained his Senior School Certificate in May/June 2010 could have graduated with a degree in less than one year from a University in Niger Republic, which paved way for him to be admitted at Ahmadu Bello University for a Masters Degree programme in International Affairs and Diplomacy on February 7, 2011.
We urged them to use their good offices together with all the instruments thereof to investigate this matter by directing your appropriate officers to summon the authorities of the Ahmadu Bello University on the matter to enable them show proof of the evidences including credentials tendered by Mamu that paved way for him to be admitted for the Masters Degree programme.