The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed establishing a case of forgery and perjury against the factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, Stephen Ntukekpo, and absolved the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini of any complexity.
The police investigation on the allegation of forgery and perjury has also confirmed that Augustine Ekanem was duly elected as the State Chairman of the APC during the party’s congress.
These were contained in the Legal Advice from the Police Legal Unit forwarded to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, for the prosecution of Ntukekpo over alleged forgery and perjury.
The document also said that from the facts and available evidence in the case file before it, a prima facie case of impersonation and forgery was established against Ntukekpo and advised that he should be charged to court.
The Legal Advice titled, “Re: Case of forgery and perjury,” sent to the DIG and signed by the Commissioner of Police (Legal/Prosecution Section), FCID, DCP Ochogwu Ogbeh, was obtained by journalists in Abuja on Monday.
According to the Report, the complainant, Yusuf Sheriff Banki, had in a letter to the police with the reference No. CB: 3514/X FHQ ABI/SEB T3 VOL. 4 209, dated June 22 2022, requested for Legal Advice on the alleged case of forgery and perjury against Ntukekpo.
The petitioner in the case, according to the document, had in a letter dated January 11, 2022, addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, stated that he was the chairman of the APC Congress Committee for Akwa Ibom State during the recently conducted nation wide Congress of the party.
It said, “That in his capacity as the Chairman, he (Banki) superintended over the Congress and submitted report with summary of result sheet to the APC National Secretariat.
“That couple of days ago, he was furnished with a court process by the legal department of his party from the Federal High Court Abuja, between Stephen Leo Ntukekpo (the suspect) and two others and the APC & three others, where his signature was forged on several documents purported to be the result of Akwa Ibom State Congress.
“The petitioner denied and claimed that the documents are fake and the signature contained therein are forged.”
The Police in its report said that after going through the facts, statements of parties and documents attached therein, it was observed that:
“All the seven-man committee gave statement to the police and they corroborated each other that election was held, vote counted in the presence of security agencies and delegates and Augustine E. Ekanem was announced and declared winner with 1,278 votes except Akeem Babalola, whose statement differs from the six members of the committee. There was no enough time to count the ballot papers one after the other as it was already late, the chairman, Hon. Yusuf Banki just announced the prepared list he had as winners of the congress elected and that he did not sign the report as he was not happy with the report.
“It was further observed that Akeem Babalola in his statement to the police did not disclose who was announced or declared as the winner of the election.
“It is also observed that records received from both the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress Headquarters revealed that Augustine Ekanem is the state APC Chairman of Akwa Ibom State.
“That the police extended investigation to the National Chairman of the APC and INEC to avail them with the certified true copy of the result sheet and documents showing the winner and the result sheet show that Augustine Ekanem is the winner.
“That Akeem Ayo Babalola who denied in his statement not to have signed the report as he was not happy with the report, documents supplied by the APC to the police shows he signed the report.
“It is also observed that the suspect uttered a copy of the APC summary result sheets, which returned him as the winner of the election held in Akwa Ibom State purportedly signed by the complainant and used same in support of his claim in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1635/2021 before Federal High Court Abuja wherein he is the First Plaintiff.
“From the facts and available evidence in the case file, we are of the considered opinion that a prima facie case of impersonation and forgery has been established against the suspect, Stephen Ntukekpo and therefore advise that the suspect be charged to court accordingly.
“This is respectfully forwarded for the Deputy Inspector-General of Police information and further directive please.”
