Man Bags Four Years For Forging Best Man’s Medical School Certificates

A Federal Capital Territory, Abuja High Court in Abuja has jailed a fake medical doctor, Martins Ugwu, 54 years, who claimed ownership of his best man’s medical school certificates, with which he got employed in the Federal Ministry of Health.

Justice Abubakar Kutigi, convicted and jailed Ugwu for four years and two months on Tuesday.

Justice Kutigi sentenced Ugwu to six months on each count of the seven-count charge on which he was prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC.

The judge, who said the sentences shall run consecutively, said it was necessary to send a signal to those in the habit of claiming what they are not and making false representation.

He noted that in his plea for mercy, the defendant did not exhibit any sense of remorse but instead sought to blame others for his conduct.

The Judge also lamented that the issue of quack doctors was assuming a troubling dimension in the country.

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He said it was of grave concern that the defendant used fake certificates to get employment in Federal Civil Service and rose to a senior position in the Federal Ministry of Health before he was found out.

The judge said it was also of concern that the defendant might have practiced as a medical doctor for years and, in the process, attended to innocent patients.

He said although the defendant was a first-time offender, with a young family, he was not remorseful despite the gravity of his offence.

Justice Kutigi also noted that the defendant still has about three criminal cases pending against him in court, one before another judge of the High Court of the FCT, another pending before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, and the third one before a High Court of Ondo State in Akure.

The judge after sentencing him to a total of four years and two months in jail, ordered the convict to refund the salaries and allowances he wrongfully earned while he was employed between 2006 and 2016, estimated at N17,024,017. 90.

The judge held that should the defendant be unable to repay the money, he should be made to serve an additional one-year jail term.