By Rejoice Peterside
The Federal High Court in Abuja will on November 26, 2025, hear a motion seeking an order compelling the police to investigate and prosecute Mr. Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Lands Administration, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), over allegations of certificate forgery.
Nwankwoeze is accused of presenting a forged Ordinary National Diploma (OND) certificate from Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, which he allegedly used to secure employment in the federal civil service.
Justice Ekerete Akpan fixed the date following a motion ex parte filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Dependable Patriots for Nation Building and Transformation Initiative, a non-profit organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2050/2025, was filed on September 26, 2025, through the law firm Abdulkabir Badmos & Co. The applicants named the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and Mr. Nwankwoeze as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
The motion seeks two main orders:
mandamus compelling the I-G and NPF to investigate and prosecute Nwankwoeze for forgery of his OND certificate.
Leaveforsubstituted service, allowing the court documents to be served at Nwankwoeze’s office at FCTA, No. 4 Peace Drive, Central Business District, Abuja, in view of protocol and the likelihood that he may not receive court processes personally.
In support of the motion, the applicant’s counsel, Abdulkabir Badmos, presented ten arguments, stating that the organisation’s objectives include upholding justice, fighting corruption, and promoting accountability and transparency in public offices.
Badmos said the organisation had previously written to the I-G and NPF, providing documentary evidence of Nwankwoeze’s alleged forgery, but no action had been taken. He argued that prosecutory agencies should not appear to shield public officers from investigation, emphasizing that forgery or the use of fake documents to gain undue advantage is a serious offence under Nigerian law.
The affidavit supporting the motion, deposed to by Comrade Emmanuel Nwosu, Executive Secretary of the initiative, alleged that Nwankwoeze had used the forged certificate to gain admission into Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State.
The organisation had also written to Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, to verify the authenticity of the OND certificate. In response, the Polytechnic, through the Deputy Registrar of Exams and Records, confirmed that the certificate was fake, according to a letter dated March 12, 2025, attached as evidence in the motion.
Nwosu argued that the statutory role of the police includes investigation and prosecution of offences under the Police Act, 2020, including forgery. He insisted that there was no alternative legal remedy available to compel the police to act, making the court’s intervention necessary for justice and good governance.
The initiative further noted that granting the motion would not prejudice the defendants, as they would still have the opportunity to respond and defend themselves in court.
The motion has attracted public attention, given Nwankwoeze’s position as a senior FCTA official and the serious nature of the forgery allegations linked to federal civil service employment.
The court is expected to determine whether the police can be legally compelled to investigate and prosecute Nwankwoeze when the motion comes up for hearing later this month.
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