Date: 2017-02-02

The Kwara Government on Wednesday said it has so far discovered 67 persons recruited into the Nigerian Army with fake citizenship certificates of the state between 2010 and 2016.

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji lsiaka Gold, disclosed this when he appeared before the state's House of Assembly Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Judiciary in Ilorin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that both the SSG and the Chairman, State Internal Revenue Service were summoned on Tuesday, over alleged falsification of the state of origin certificates for military recruitment.

Gold, while testifying before the Committee, said the 67 persons were uncovered during the recruitment exercise using their names; but could not communicate in the local dialects of the local government areas they claimed.

Giving the breakdown, the SSG said 16 persons claimed Ekiti Local Government, nine claimed lfelodun, eight claimed Moro and another eight claimed that they were from lrepodun Local Government Areas.

Others, he said, are five persons were discovered each in Edu, Baruten and Kaima Local Government Areas respectively, while llorin West and Oyun Local Government Areas had three persons each. One each, were discovered in Oke-Ero, Asa, llorin East and llorin South local Government areas, Gold stated.

The secretary to the state government solicited the assistance of the House and chairmen of all the 16 Local Governments to curtail the ugly trend. The SSG later presented an authentic list of the state's indigenes for another Army recruitment slated for Feb. 6 to the assembly for verification.

The Chairman of the Internal Revenue Service, Dr Muritala Awodun, who was represented by the Director, Informal Sector, Mr Segun Olaniyi, said the service had issued 21,000 new indigene certificates from June 2016 to date. Olaniyi called for the eradication of old state of origin certificates with new ones to be produced by the service to guide against production of fake ones.

Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Kamaldeen Fagbemi described as worrisome the large number of fake state of origin certificates in circulation. Fagbemi reaffirmed the determination of the House to protect citizens of Kwara and ensure they got their quota at the national level.