JUST IN: FABRICATION AND GIVING FALSE EVIDENCE: FORMER PROVOST OF FCVMLT, OKWORI JOSEPH AMEH ELEYI, SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS IMPRISONMENT

By: Amb. Valentine Adese (JP),

An Upper Area Court 1 of Plateau State, sitting at Kasuwan Nama, Jos, has sentenced a former Acting Provost of the College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology (FCVMLT), Okwori Joseph Ameh Eleyi, after finding him guilty for fabrication and giving false evidence against one Mallam Muhammad Nasiru Ambursa, (the Complainant in case No: UACI/DCR175/2021) to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.00   

On the face of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Judgment signed by, Hon. Lawal Suleiman (Esq), (the Sole Judge), the Judgment stated that, in view of the plea for leniency by his Counsel and the Complainant’s Counsel, who confirmed that there is no record or evidence of previous conviction against Okwori, the Court reduced his sentence of 7 years, as provided for by Section 120 (1) of the Plateau State Penal Code, 2017, as first time offender to 5 years.

Other Defendants in the case brought by way of Direct Criminal Complaint by Mallam Muhammad Nasiru Ambrusa included Dr. Beatrice Olatundum Oluwatayo and Umar Baba Aliyu of the College.

All the Defendants were standing charge for the alleged offences, of criminal conspiracy, fabrication and giving false evidence, impersonation, criminal defamation of character, injurious falsehood, and criminal intimidation contrary to Sections: 59, 120, 141 (1 & 2), 372, 373 and 377 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017 respectively.

However, the Court discharged all the Defendants because the Complainant failed to establish the alleged conspiracy against the Defendants according to the Law, but found the former Provost guilty for fabrication and giving false evidence.

 The Court in part stated that “However, with respect to the charge of fabrication and giving false information, apart from the abundant and the uncontroverted evidence towards that, the 1^st Defendant admitted in his defense as DW4 during cross-examination that they engaged the Institute Lawyer, who obtained the Court order in Jos and facilitated the breakage of the Complainant’s Office at the College.

“To me, in his position as the then Provost and Chief Executive Officer of the College as he then was, whatever consequence such an instruction attracted, he shall be ready to take such because, without doubt, he was the one that fabricated such information that led to the initiation of the Exparte Application that was later set aside as I enumerated in this Judgment….

“Conclusively, all the Defendants are discharged and Acquitted with respect to all the charges for lack of sufficient evidence with the exception, of the 1^st Defendant who is found guilty on the charge of fabrication and giving false evidence as I examined above.”