The National Youth Service Corps and its Director of Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammed, are prohibited by the Federal High Court in Abuja from making any further denials that the NYSC certificate dated January 6, 2003, issued to the candidate for governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, was fake.
The NYSC and Muhammad are named as defendants in the lawsuit, and Mbah is the plaintiff.
Following an ex parte motion filed by Emeka Ozoani (SAN) on behalf of the applicant on May 4, Justice Ekwo issued the ruling.
Recall that Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party was accused by some opposition political parties of presenting a fake NYSC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission during the lead-up to the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
The NYSC refuted issuing the certificate to Mbah in a response letter dated February 1, 2023 and signed by Muhammad.
The plaintiff then requested a temporary injunction from the court to prevent the NYSC and its directors from issuing and publishing statements regarding the certificate saga.
An order of interim injunction restraining the defendants and respondents, whether by themselves, their directors, from issuing, publishing a disclaimer to the effect that the NYSC certificate of national service dated January 6, 2003, certificate No. A.808297 issued to the plaintiff Mbah Peter, in accordance with Section 11 of the National Youth Service Corps Decree No. 51 of 1993, was not issued by the National Youth Service Corps, was granted by Justice Ekwo.
The plaintiff on the motion paper claimed that after receiving his law degree from the University of East London in 2000, he returned to Nigeria and applied for admission to the Nigerian Law School’s Bar Part 1 program in order to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He claimed that after passing the Bar Part 1 Exam, he had to wait for the Bar Part 2 Programme and was told to start the required one-year NYSC program rather than wasting time waiting around.
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The plaintiff claimed that after being selected for the NYSC, he was initially sent to the Nigerian Ports Authority Apapa Quays for his primary assignment but was turned down by the NPA. As a result, he had to search for legal representation before finding Ude & Associates.
“The plaintiff applied to defer the NYSC during his service year and after completing six months of it in order to finish the Bar final exam, and his request was approved.
The plaintiff was then re-energised to complete the NYSC program, which he did.
Mbah claimed that he received the certificate of National Service No. A.808297 dated January 6, 2003 after completing his NYSC service.
As a result, the trial judge ordered the applicant to deliver court papers to the defendants within two days of receiving the order.
