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Konbowei Benson, the senator for Bayelsa Central, was charge for acting contrary to provisions of Penal Code Act, forgery of the NYSC exemption certificate and submitting the forged certificate to secure ission into the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State University.

The senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Konbowei Benson, was arraigned before the FCT High Court in Abuja on Tuesday for allegedly forging exemption certificate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Mr Benson, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was arraigned on a three-count charge for acting contrary to provisions of Penal Code Act, forgery of the NYSC exemption certificate and submitting the forged certificate to secure ission into the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State University, Owerri.

In February, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, instituted a forgery suit against the lawmaker.

In the suit marked: CR/028/2023, the IGP specifically accused the senator of forging a document titled ‘Certificate of Exemption’ with number 000256454 and dated 4 July 2008.

Mr Benson was subsequently charged to court and was to be arraigned on 12 February at the FCT High Court in Abuja, but his absence, due to ill health, stalled the arraignment.

The senator’s counsel, Gordy Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court on that day that his client was “medically indisposed” and submitted a medical report to substantiate his claim.

“My lord, the defendant is medically indisposed and cannot be in court. He is on a drip. I pray the court for an adjournment. I promise to provide him at the next proceedings,” the counsel pleaded.


Charges

At the resumed proceeding on Tuesday, Mr Benson and his counsel were present.

Count one of the charges against the senator was that he acted contrary to the provisions of sections 366,156 and 158 of the Penal Code Act CAP 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and was liable to punishment under Section 364 of the same Act.

Other charges are “That you, Benson Friday Konbowei, sometime in March 2014 within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory fraudulently used as genuine a certain document to wit: Certificate of Exemption Number 000256454 dated 4th of July 2008 signed by the Director-General, NYSC, Directorate Headquarters, Abuja to the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest election into the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in 2015 election, which you won and represented Southern Ijaw Constituency IV and the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District National Assembly election conducted on February 25, 2023, which you won and currently a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“And you also submitted four copies of the same forged NYSC certificate to gain ission into the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State University, Owerri, which you then knew to be a forged document and you submitted four copies of the forged Certificate of Exemption Number 000256454 dated July 4, 2008, as a compulsory requirement to the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State

University Owerri, which is a compulsory requirement to get ission into the school of postgraduate studies to study.”

Mr Benson, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him.

The trial judge, Christopher Oba, adjourned the case till 28 March for the commencement of trial.

https://www.timesng.com/news/headlines/681161-nigerian-lawmaker-arraigned-for-alleged-forgery-of-nysc-certificate.html

NYSC certificate is one of the biggest downfall of politicians

COMRADES NYSC cert is over rated in Nigeria

Melagros:
COMRADES NYSC cert is over rated in Nigeria

Obidients will soon arrive en masse to blame APC & Tinubu as usual.

Since when did forgery become a crime in Nigeria?

Or because he’s a PDP senator?

You fools should leave the young man alone, he got his NYSC exemption certificate from “Third Party Vendors”.

Ndi ala!

What about heroin traffickers who also double as certificate forgers and election riggers sitting on stolen mandates?

If you want to make real changes, start from the top

Well, hin own don meet am.
Dem go soon replace am with the First Runner Up.

To those of you thinking through your Tribal/PoliticalParty/Candidate prism, I urge that you realise that the Law does not look through any of those prism.

Pleaded not guilty to all the charges, case adjourned...
Next thing you'll hear is "the forged certificate and other exhibits destroyed by mysterious fire".

That's the typical Nigerian story.

Any info about Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Fmr Min. of Finance, Budget and National Planning of Nigeria?

Bayelsa and forgery

That's how a former governor FORGED A NEW FACE to escape police in the UK and escaped to Nigeria

Aso Rock Landlord nko??

Pablo EscoBAT I of Chicago

socialmediaman:
What about heroin traffickers who also double as certificate forgers?

If you want to make real changes, start from the top

Typical example. Tinubu is your nightmare, better get used to it till 2031.

Tinubu graduated top of his class in ING with honors, unlike the Agulu packaged fraud with a 3rd class certificate in Philosophy that was supposedly signed on a Saturday.

They plenty. Ur out going and the present presido get reasonable certificate nee😕

I was in his community few weeks ago, before he's mum's burial ceremony.

A lesson for those planning to ghost NYSC or not to even enrol at all.... U no knw where u fit meet yourself for future oh....

Just ask the Enugu governor for a copy of his judgement,photo copy it and attach to ur submission and give the judge, case closed

Needless!!!
We already know when their prick Dey rise. Everything in the country is against opposition.

Waste of time! Nothing will come out of it! If Peter Mbah could escape his NYSC forgery saga, impossible is nothing!

PDP & APC Has Fail Nigerians With Counterfeit INEC Selected Brainless, Dubious & Fraudulent Corrupt Politicians

How possible he was charged under penal code.
Penal code is for old northern region.

Smbody kindly Educate me better, not too sure anyway

They should free the man abeg...Do our president even have a certificate? The system is very corrupt. That's why you see people coming to loot instead of to lead.

We are led by criminals.

Well not surprised seeing as Tinubu the current president and Buhari the ex president had certificate issues.

He Copied it From Buhari Who Tendered Bread Label & NEPA Bill As Certificate

He should sue them ASAP for defamation of charater and use the President as example

tutudesz:
NYSC certificate is one of the biggest downfall of politicians

we await the court judgment

tutudesz:
NYSC certificate is one of the biggest downfall of politicians

He should have gone to Private University or Polytechnic and do first degree again.

There are so many universities in Nigeria both private, federal and state universities.

Get another certificate of exemption in a legitimate way.

Declaring forged document is a NO NO !

It brings disgrace and it carries big punishment and for the politicians his career is damaged for life.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives during the Obasanjo government, Mr Salisu Buhari was found to have tendered forged
degree certificate from the University of TORONTO in Canada.

That led to his resignation from public office.

Former Finance Minister Adeosun lost her ministerial appointment as Finance Minister under the Buhari government.

Former Minister Shittu was embarrased for not producing NYSC certificate for the Degree he claimed to have.

Former Deputy Governor Elect of Bayelsa state lost his position as Deputy Governor Elect in Bayelsa state. His tendering a forged document led to himself and his boss, former governor elect of Bayelsa, David Lyon loosing his electoral victory.

This position of Senator or House of Representative member requires just a minimum of WAEC or SSCE, NECO Certificate.

Why kill body put just because you want to bear big university degree title to your name?

This one no be matters nah, Tinubu postpone birthday because he no want make we focus on the different ages on top all him forged certificates

Forgery is not a crime in Nigeria
---Justice haruna tsmanni