Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja has ruled in favor of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, in his ₦20 billion suit over alleged certificate forgery, as he dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo stated that the provisions of Section 20 of the NYSC Act were not applicable to Governor Mbah, as he is neither a current nor intended NYSC member, nor an employee of the corps.
During the previous court session, NYSC's counsel argued that Mbah violated the NYSC Act by instituting the suit. They urged the court to strike out the suit, claiming that Mbah failed to follow the proper procedure by not appealing to the President as required by Section 20 of the NYSC Act before filing the suit.
In response, Mbah's counsel requested the dismissal of the objection, arguing that the sections cited in the NYSC Act were not relevant to the current suit. They also submitted a counter affidavit and written address countering the preliminary objection.
Governor Mbah, in his counter affidavit, argued that Section 20 of the NYSC Act, which was referenced by NYSC's lawyer, did not apply to him.
Earlier on February 1, 2023, the NYSC had issued a disclaimer in response to a Freedom of Information Act request regarding Peter Mbah's NYSC status.
Mbah maintained that he was issued a National Service certificate, bearing No. A.808297, on January 6, 2003, after completing his NYSC service.
In another development related to the certificate controversy, the Department of State Security (DSS) debunked the NYSC's claims during the ongoing Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The DSS, represented by Yahaya Isa Mohammed, revealed that it had conducted an investigation into the matter following a petition from Mbah on February 8, 2023.
The DSS testified that the certificates, including Mbah's, were found to have been issued to Corps members in Lagos, which contradicted the NYSC's previous claim.