Hunting the Hunter

Abdullahi Dikko Inde, the Comptroller-General of Customs

Ibrahim Olajide Oyewole, who last year accused Abdullahi Dikko Inde, the Comptroller-General of Customs of certificate forgery is caught in the web of the same act, and wanted by the Police
By Bayo Bernard
For Olajide Ibrahim Oyewole, who last year alleged that Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde, the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs’ academic certificates were forged, the thespian saying that the hunter has now become the hunted is confirmed. Except Oyewole, who once enjoyed the hospitality of Dikko’s family, quickly turns himself to the Police who are looking for him, he may be declared wanted by the Force’s authority in Abuja. Oyewole is currently being looked for by the police based on the discrepancies discovered by investigators on the claims he made on his academic certificates.
Oyewole became prominent last year after he swore to an affidavit that the Customs’ boss forged his academic certificates. Through his lawyer Festus Keyamo, he alleged that Dikko’s certificates were fake. He alleged that the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Nigerian, Institute of Management (NIM) and Association of National Accountants (ANAN) certificates, said to have been obtained by Dikko were all fakes. In the 50 paragraph affidavit, the accuser summarily claimed that Dikko’s certificates were not authentic. He said he obtained the certificates for the Customs boss through the back door. If true, in that instant case, that even makes him an accomplice. But no matter.
According to Oyewole, his relationship with Dikko’s family started in 1995, and blossomed thereafter, particularly, according to him, following the assistance he rendered to the Customs boss to acquire the alleged fake certificates. His first encounter with Dikko began in 1995 when, according to him, he was under-going the compulsory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) scheme with the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) in Lagos. These claims are turning out to putent lies. For, Olajide, by trying to put Dikko into trouble seems to have exposed an alleged criminal aspect of himself. He neither attended the Polytechnic Ibadan, which he claimed he did, and therefore, couldn't have been a Youth Corper at the NIM. Available evidence indicates that Oyewole never participated in the NYSC programme, and if he ever did, not with NIM and not with any certificate from the Polytechnic, Ibadan.
This was confirmed in investigations carried out by the Commissioner of Police, Legal/Prosecutions, ‘D’ Department (FCID), Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The police investigators had sent letters to both the Polytechnic and NIM, requesting the institutions to authenticate Oyewole’s claim. But what they discovered was astonishing. The man who had leveled certificate forgery allegations against his once-upon-a time benefactor never worked with NIM, where he claimed he served his fatherland for one year. And was never a student of the polytechnic.
The police document titled. Investigation Activities, RE: Petition Against Mr. Olajide Ibrahim Oyewole (Deposing to False Facts in Affidavit Evidence) Request for Certified True Copy (CTC), showed evidence from NIM to the effect that Oyewole never served at the institute.
In its response to police request that it confirms Oyewole's claim, NIM replied that the claimant was not at any time their staff. The NIM letter titled: Re: Investigation Activities – Case of Defamation of Character, Forgery and False information (Olajide Ibrahim Olawoye) reads inter alia.’
“We acknowledge receipt of your letter captioned as above.
“We have checked our records, and the said Mr. Olajide Ibrahim Oyewole was not found as any of our Corpers for the said year 1995/96. The letter was signed by Tola Odumuyiwa, Assistant Director, Human Resources and Administration, and dated December 2 2009,
Further investigations to Oyewole’s claim that he was a graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan was also mind-boggling . He never attended the Ibadan, Oyo state based institution. The tertiary institution unequivocally denied having the claimant in the school’s record. To the authorities of the institution, Oyewole was clearly an imposter. He did not attend the institution, and therefore could not have been awarded such certificates.
In the letter, entitled RE: Investigation Activities-case of Deformation of Chairman, Forgery and False Information (Olajide Ibrahim Oyewole), The Polytechnic, Ibadan authority states. “Please refer to your letter Ref. 300/x/LEG/ FHQ/ABJ/Vol.3/68 dated 19th November, 2009 on the above subject matter.” “After a careful search through our records, I am to inform you that this institution. The Polytechnic, Ibadan, has no records of the studentship, or graduation, of the said Mr Olajide Ibrahim Oyewole.” It was dated December 18, 2009. So, where did Olajide get the certificate he is flaunting?
Of all the certificates he claimed to have obtained, only that of the school certificate appears to be authentic. His alma mata, Oke Odo Junior High School, said Oyewole’s claim that he attended the school was true.
Following the shocking discoveries, the Police are now looking for Oyewole whose whereabouts are unknown. Unless he turns himself in, or Keyamo, his lawyer, who detests the type of criminal tendencies Olajide has exhibuted by allegedly forging his certificates, the Police may have no choice but to declare him wanted.