A 33-year-old man, Monsuru Musa, has been arrested for allegedly writing the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) promotion examination on behalf of his father, Musa Mohammed, an employee of the FCT Fire Service.
The incident reportedly happened on Wednesday, the third day of the promotion examination organised by the FCT Civil Service Commission, at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) examination centre in Abuja.
According to Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, security personnel deployed for the exercise intercepted the suspect while the examination was in progress.
During questioning, Monsuru Musa reportedly told officials that his father was sick but was somewhere within the NOUN premises. He also admitted that he was asked by his father to write the promotion examination on his behalf.
When asked about his father’s age, the suspect reportedly said he was between 67 and 68 years old. However, Musa Mohammed reportedly told investigators that he would turn 60 years old in February 2027.
Further questioning also revealed that the father claimed he completed his secondary school education in 1982 and finished primary school in 1977, raising additional questions that investigators are expected to examine.
Both the father and son were later handed over to the police after making statements before operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), according to the minister’s aide.
The police are expected to continue investigations to determine whether any laws relating to impersonation, examination malpractice or other offences were violated.
The FCTA has continued to stress the need for transparency, fairness and integrity in the promotion process for civil servants, insisting that candidates must personally participate in examinations meant to determine their career progression.
The incident has drawn attention to the importance of maintaining credibility in public service examinations, as authorities say any attempt to compromise the process will be thoroughly investigated.
