ABUJA, — The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says a former official of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Muhammad Said Musa, secured entry into Nigeria’s public service with forged academic and service documents, earned salaries and benefits for years, and only refunded the proceeds after investigators uncovered the fraud.
In a statement signed by ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey, the commission said Musa presented a forged Bachelor of Science certificate in Political Science purportedly issued by the University of Maiduguri, along with a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate of National Service, which he used to obtain employment at the NIPC.
The fraud, ICPC said, was detected during a staff verification audit requested by the Executive Secretary of the NIPC. Discrepancies flagged in the exercise triggered deeper checks, which confirmed that the certificates submitted by the official were not genuine.
Prosecutors initially investigated the case as a multi-count offence bordering on forgery and false statements. However, the defendant later opted to cooperate with investigators, leading to a plea bargain arrangement that the prosecution said served the interest of justice because Musa showed remorse and assisted the investigation.
Under the plea agreement, Musa refunded ₦36,590,943.21—described as the proceeds of salaries and other benefits earned from the false representation—into the ICPC Recovery Account, the commission disclosed. Defence counsel C.O.C. Emeka Izima told the court that his client was remorseful and had demonstrated genuine repentance by returning all benefits derived from the offence.
In her ruling, Justice Bassi upheld the plea bargain and imposed a non-custodial sentence, ordering Musa to maintain good conduct and pay a ₦50,000 fine, according to the ICPC statement and local reports of the proceedings.
The commission said the conviction reinforces its push for integrity in the public service and highlights the importance of routine verification systems in government agencies to prevent credential fraud from undermining recruitment standards and public trust.
