’It’s blackmail’ — Kogi rep denies forging certificate

Lawal Idrisu, a member of the house of representatives from Kogi state, has denied the allegation he forged his national diploma certificate.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker said a case of the alleged forgery had been dismissed in court and described the fresh allegation as attempt to blackmail him.

Aloysius Adeiza, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last constituency election, recently filed a suit challenging the authenticity of Idrisu’s credentials.

He alleged the lawmaker’s national diploma certificate presented in the build up of the poll was forged.

But Idrisu, who spoke through Tawada Adams, his counsel, said the suit and reports on the allegations are baseless and “politically motivated”

He also described the fresh application as an abuse of court process.

“The alleged forgery against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu has since been settled by the courts of the land,” he said.

“Therefore, consider the said publications as a pure blackmail coming from unminded people who have tried through the courts without success and have now resorted to cheap blackmail.

“We therefore contend that any other criminal allegation instituted on same facts of forgery against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu amounts to an abuse of court process, in which the complainant, Hon. Aloysius Okino Adeiza has been estopped from raising similar complaints.

“We consider the publication’a as unfounded, malicious and highly subjudice, since the issue of a pending criminal case against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idrisu is being challenged in court at the moment in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/200/2020.”