By Comfort Olayinka
In a dramatic turn of events, the certificate forgery allegation leveled against the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has been declared null and void by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The announcement was made during court proceedings on Thursday, with Maikalangu’s legal counsel revealing that the case had already been terminated following a report by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF).
According to the counter affidavit filed by Abuja-based lawyer Charles Okoye, the DPPF concluded that the allegation concerning Maikalangu’s primary school certificate lacked the necessary evidence to hold up in court.
The Police Criminal Investigation Department had also found no substantial grounds to support the claim.
Challenging the jurisdiction of Magistrate Abdullahi Ilelah, Okoye argued that the fresh Direct Criminal Complaint—filed by APC chieftain Awalu Tanko Mohammed—was not only redundant but a violation of constitutional authority vested in the AGF.
Maikalangu, absent from court due to a scheduled medical checkup at the National Hospital, Abuja, was represented by Okoye, who submitted a letter explaining his absence and sought an adjournment.
The defendant’s lawyer in the counter affidavit said that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), FCT Police Command, Abuja, had upon completion of its investigation into the alleged certificate forgery presented its report to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, for review and possible next line of action.
He said that the DPPF after reviewing the findings of Police operatives came to the conclusion that the certificate forgery allegation cannot be substantiated in any law court as no concrete evidence was attached to the petition as an exhibit.
While the complainant’s counsel, Job Peter Israel, didn’t oppose the motion, he questioned the authenticity of the attached medical report.
The matter has been adjourned to May 23 for either arraignment or mention of the complaint, with the defense urging the court to disregard what it described as a politically motivated attempt to rehash an already dismissed claim.
