Court Jails Former Health Ministry Official for False Certification of Undelivered Drugs

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of a former Principal Stock Verifier at the Federal Ministry of Health, Williams Oluwole, for issuing a false stock verification certificate that facilitated the payment of nearly ₦30 million for pharmaceutical products that had not been supplied at the time of certification.

Oluwole was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja, after he was found guilty of knowingly furnishing false statements in the discharge of his official duties.

The court, presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu, also imposed a fine of ₦100,000 on the convict on the second count of the charge. The judge further directed that he serve his prison sentence at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

The conviction followed his prosecution by the ICPC on a two-count charge bordering on the falsification of official records and the issuance of a false stock verification certificate in favour of Mubaraq Pharmacy Limited.
The Commission, in a statement issued by its Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey, on Thursday, said the convict issued the certificate in May 2015, falsely confirming that pharmaceutical products had been supplied when they had yet to arrive in Nigeria.

According to the prosecution, the false certification facilitated the payment of ₦29,996,120 to the pharmaceutical company for the purported supply of 5,113 Ribavirin injections and 5,681 Globavirin tablets.

The ICPC established during the trial that Oluwole, who served as Principal Stock Verifier at the Federal Ministry of Health, issued Stock Verification Certificate of Completion No. CA 0329, creating the impression that the contractor had fulfilled its contractual obligations.

The court held that the pharmaceutical products covered by the certificate had not been supplied when the defendant certified their receipt, despite the certification being used to facilitate payment.

In Count One of Charge No. CR/94/2017, the Commission accused Oluwole of knowingly furnishing a false statement in his official capacity by issuing the stock verification certificate upon which payment was made for the undelivered products.

The offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 16 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The second count accused the former ministry official of making a false statement to the then Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, contrary to Section 25(1)(a) of the same Act.
The ICPC prosecuted the case through its counsel, N. J. Onwuka, Esq., who appeared alongside P. N. Emeka, Esq., while the defendant was represented by Abubakar Adamu, Esq.

Delivering judgment, Justice Halilu found Oluwole guilty on the charges and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment on Count One, while imposing a ₦100,000 fine on Count Two.
The judge further ordered that the convict be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre to serve his prison sentence.

The Commission said the conviction underscored the criminal consequences of falsifying official records and certification documents in public procurement, particularly when such actions facilitate payments for goods and services that have not been delivered.

The ICPC reiterated the importance of accountability in the management of public resources, stressing that official certifications must accurately reflect the status of contractual obligations before payments are approved.