Nigerian Government, on Tuesday, through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, filed two separate sets of charges against the Senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Isah Misau.
One of the two sets of charges, marked FCT/HC/CR/345/2017, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, stemmed from the running battle between Misau and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris.
In the case filed before the FCT High Court, the prosecution preferred against Misau, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, five counts of making “injurious falsehood” against Idris and the Nigeria Police Force based on various allegations of corruption made by the senator against the IGP in the media.
Part of the allegations by Misau, considered injurious to the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force,was that police officers allegedly paid as much as N2.5m to get special promotion and posting through the Police Service Commission.
The federal lawmaker also accused the IGP of allegedly diverting money meant for the purchase of Armoured Personnel Carriers, Sport Utility Vehicles and other exotic cars.
Misau was also said to have falsely accused the IGP of making almost half of the mobile commanders in the country the people of his Nupe extraction.
The offences were said to be contrary to Section 393(1) of the Penal Code.
In another set of charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/170/2017, the prosecution preferred seven counts of making and “uttering” false documents comprising affidavits, statutory declaration of age deposed to at FCT High Court and the Bauchi State Health Management Board Birth Certificate, which he allegedly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2011 and 2014.
Uttering, according to Wikipedia, “is a crime involving a person with intent to defraud that knowingly sells, publishes or passes a forged or counterfeited document”.
The offences in the seven counts were said to be contrary to Section (1)(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
The two sets of charges were signed on behalf of the AGF by an Assistant Chief State Counsel, Mr. Aminu Alilu, who is of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Justice. (The Punch. Photo: Vanguard)