SECURITY agencies have arrested a 33-year-old man, Monsuru Musa, for allegedly impersonating his father, Musa Mohammed, in the ongoing Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Civil Service promotion examination.
Monsuru was caught on Tuesday, the third day of the examination, while allegedly writing the examination on behalf of his father, an officer with the FCT Fire Service. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abuja, one of the venues for the examination.
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The examination, being conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission, is part of the administration’s efforts to assess eligible civil servants for promotion and clear the backlog of promotion exercises in the territory.
Security personnel deployed to monitor the examination reportedly apprehended the suspect following the directive of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to ensure the integrity of the exercise.
Sources said Monsuru initially told the security personnel that his father was ill but was within the NOUN premises.
However, in the course of interrogation, he reportedly admitted that his father had directed him to sit for the examination on his behalf.
When asked about his father’s age, Monsuru said Musa Mohammed was between 67 and 68 years old.
But the father gave a different account, saying he would turn 60 in February 2027.
With further questioning, the father’s educational history was revealed. Musa Mohammed reportedly told investigators that he completed secondary school in 1982 and primary school in 1977.
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The inconsistencies surrounding his age and the circumstances under which his son appeared for the examination are expected to form part of security agencies’ investigation.
Following the incident, both father and son were taken into custody and handed over to the police for further investigation.
They had earlier made statements to operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) before being transferred to the police.
The development has raised fresh concerns over attempts to compromise promotion examinations within the FCT Civil Service.
The FCT Civil Service Commission started this year’s promotion computer-based tests on Monday, with more than 10,700 civil servants expected to participate across 145 cadres.
The exercise is being conducted as part of efforts to address outstanding promotion matters within the FCT Civil Service.
The commission has said the backlog of promotion exercises had been cleared since its establishment in 2024, with the current exercise expected to run through next week.
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The commission has also indicated that, beginning in 2027, promotion examinations will be conducted in the corresponding year, in line with the applicable service rules.
The arrest of the 33-year-old suspect underscores the security measures being deployed to prevent impersonation, examination malpractice and other attempts to undermine the credibility of the promotion exercise.