COURT SENTENCES FORMER HEALTH MINISTRY OFFICIAL TO SEVEN YEARS OVER ₦29.9M FALSE DRUG-SUPPLY CERTIFICATE
By Iroyin Yoruba Television
ABUJA, Nigeria — October 24, 2026
A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has sentenced former Federal Ministry of Health Principal Stock Verifier Williams Oluwole to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of issuing a false certificate that facilitated payment of nearly ₦30 million for pharmaceutical products that had not been supplied when they were certified as received.
The judgment was delivered on October 20, 2026, by Justice Yusuf Halilu following prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The commission announced the conviction on October 22.
The case concerned a stock verification certificate issued in May 2015 in favour of Mubaraq Pharmacy Limited. The certificate reportedly confirmed that pharmaceutical products had been supplied even though the items had not yet arrived in Nigeria.
According to the ICPC, the document facilitated the payment of ₦29,996,120 to the company for the purported supply of 5,113 Ribavirin injections and 5,681 Globavirin tablets.
HOW THE CERTIFICATE FACILITATED PAYMENT
The prosecution established that Stock Verification Certificate of Completion No. CA 0329 created the impression that the supplier had fulfilled its contractual obligations and was entitled to payment.
As Principal Stock Verifier, Oluwole was responsible for a verification process that helped establish whether goods covered by a supply contract had been received. Such certification is an important safeguard in public procurement because payment decisions can depend on official confirmation that contracted goods have been delivered.
The court found that the products had not been supplied at the time Oluwole certified their receipt.
The case therefore centred on the integrity of official verification records and the use of those records to authorise payments from public resources.
COURT IMPOSES PRISON TERM AND FINE
Oluwole faced a two-count charge involving knowingly furnishing false statements in the discharge of his official duties.
On the first count, brought under Section 16 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, Justice Halilu found him guilty and sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment.
The court also imposed a fine of ₦100,000 on the second count, which concerned making a false statement to the then Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Linus Awute.
The judge directed that Oluwole serve his prison sentence at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
The seven-year sentence relates to the first count, while the ₦100,000 fine relates to the second. They are distinct penalties imposed in the judgment.
WHY THE CASE MATTERS FOR PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
The case highlights a vulnerability in government purchasing: when an official certificate is relied upon as proof of delivery, inaccurate verification can allow payments to proceed even when contractual requirements have not been met.
Effective controls require proper inspection, reliable documentation, clear separation of responsibilities and checks that connect payment approval to actual delivery.
In the health sector, the accurate verification of pharmaceutical supplies is especially important because public procurement is intended to support healthcare services and ensure that medicines purchased with public funds are available when needed.
The reported judgment establishes the court's finding against Oluwole in this case. However, the available announcement does not establish that the full amount was recovered, that the pharmaceutical company was convicted, or that the judgment led to broader changes in the ministry's procurement procedures.
ACCOUNTABILITY MUST EXTEND BEYOND CONVICTIONS
The ICPC said the conviction demonstrates the criminal consequences of falsifying official records used to facilitate payments for undelivered goods.
For public institutions, the wider challenge is to prevent similar failures through independent verification, transparent procurement records and timely audits. Prosecution can punish misconduct, but stronger controls are also necessary to reduce opportunities for false certification in the first place.
The case provides a concrete example of how a single official document can affect the handling of public funds. Its broader significance will depend partly on whether government institutions use lessons from such cases to strengthen their procurement and stock-verification systems.