A school teacher, Mr. Desmond Chukwuebuka Chiweuba, has been arraigned before Magistrate C.M. Owolabi at Samuel Ilori Ogba Court on May 26, 2025, facing charges of theft, forgery, and conversion of school funds.
An eyewitness from the school, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that Mr. Desmond had been employed since 2023 as the institution’s Quality Assurance officer and occasionally served as the Head Teacher. He was entrusted with purchasing books and other essential school items. However, it was alleged that he inflated prices on purchases and, in some cases, displayed items in the school temporarily before taking them home.
Upon discovering financial irregularities, the school director initiated an internal investigation, during which Mr. Desmond absconded. The matter was reported to the police, who conducted intelligence gathering and eventually apprehended him for questioning.
Further police investigations uncovered that all the certificates Mr. Desmond presented were falsified. He had claimed to be a graduate of the University of Lagos (Unilag) with a master’s degree from the same institution, but he consistently failed to provide valid academic credentials. Instead, he only presented a statement of results. Additionally, a booklet of cash sales receipts was discovered in his residence, allegedly used to forge purchase records for items such as school laptops and air conditioners.
The suspect was also accused of presenting fake invoices to the school to justify purchases and was further implicated in gross misconduct and misrepresentation of the school’s values.
Efforts to obtain a statement from the school director have been unsuccessful, as her representative stated that she is unavailable for comments at this time.
Following his arraignment, Mr. Desmond’s case has been adjourned until May 22, 2025, for further hearing.
