Court remands serving senator in prison over NYSC certificate forgery
A High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, has remanded a serving Senator, Benson Konbowei, in Kuje Correctional Centre for alleged forgery of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, exemption certificate.
The Bayelsa Central Senator was arraigned before Justice Christopher Oba on March 26, 2024.
In the charge marked: CR/028/2023, the Inspector General of Police accused Konbowei of fraudulently forging a document titled ‘Certificate of Exemption’ with number 000256454 and dated July 4, 2008.
The police said the Senator 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.
Upon his arraignment earlier on Tuesday, the Senator pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court allowed him to go home and fixed the hearing of his bail application for Thursday, March 28, 2024.
After listening to counsels in the matter, the Senator was granted N50m bail with two sureties by the court.
Justice Oba said the sureties must own landed properties with Certificates of Occupancy in the Federal Capital Territory.
The judge, however, ordered that the Senator be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned till June 24, 25 and 27 for hearing.
