An FCT High Court has fixed March 21 for the judgement of former House of Representatives member, Chuma Nzeribe, charged with impersonation and cheating.

On Tuesday, Justice Halilu Yusuf adjourned the proceedings as Mr Nzeribe was notably absent. Mr Nzeribe’s lawyer, Charles Ndukwe, told Mr Yusuf that the former legislator was suffering from chronic hypertension.

However, Mr Yusuf fixed March 21 to deliver the judgement, ordering that Mr Nzeribe must be physically present in court.

Mr Nzeribe, a former governorship aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party in Anambra state, had been charged with impersonation and cheating by the federal government.

According to the charges filed against Mr Nzeribe, the former House of Representatives member was accused of impersonating a Ramatu Alhassan.

It was stated that Mr Nzeribe used a land document in the name of Ramatu Alhassan to commit “advanced fee fraud”.

“That you Hon. Chuma Nzeribe sometime in March 2013 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession a document containing false pretence to wit:

“Re: Application for Statutory Right of Occupancy within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with reference Number MFCT/LA/FCT 1302 dated 18/06/03, bearing the name of Ramatu Alhassan and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6, 8(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud-related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

“That you Hon. Chuma Nzeribe sometime in 2005 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently make a false document to wit: “Re: Application for Statutory Right of Occupancy within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with reference number MFCT/LA/FCT 1302 dated 18/06/03, bearing the name of Ramatu Alhassan ‘and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 363 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) and punishable under Section 364 of the same Act.”

“That you Hon. Chuma Nzeribe sometime in 2005, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use as genuine a document to wit: Re: Application for Statutory Right of Occupancy within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with reference Number MFCT/LA/FCT 1302 dated 18/06/03, bearing the name of Ramatu Alhassan and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) and punishable under Section 364 of the same Act.”

“That you, Hon. Chuma Nzeribe sometime in 2007 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by Personation, by representing yourself to be Ramatu Alhassan opposite Gwagwa Market AMAC, Gwagwa Village Abuja and thereby committed an office contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under section 324 of the same Act.”