FALSIFICATION is the deliberate act of misrepresenting a thing to look genuine and with the intention that others will be act upon it as painted by the perpetrator.
It is a form of forgery punishable under our laws.
Black’s Law Dictionary 7th Edition defines forgery as ’the act of fraudulently making a false document or altering a real one to be used as if genuine’
By virtue of section 465 of the criminal code Act applicable in southern part of Nigeria, “A person who makes a false document or writing knowing it to be false, and with intent that it may in any way be used or acted upon as genuine, whether in the State or elsewhere,
to the prejudice of any person or with intent that any person may, in the belief that it is genuine, be induced to do or refrain from doing any act, whether in the State or elsewhere, is said to forge the document or writing”.
Falsification of age therefore, may be oral or written including a birth certificate anchored on false age or sworn affidavit of declaration a age that the deponent knowing same to be force and with the intent that the public will believe and act on same goes ahead to make such declaration.
The motivation for such misrepresentation, more often than not, is an ulterior motive for selfish gains. Age is one of the aspects of life that merchants of falsification carry out their illegal merchandise.
It is a common practice which the perpetrators engage in for unlawful gains with unmitigated impunity and recklessness.
Age falsification forms particularly a veritable tool for these unscrupulous citizens who carry out the reprehensible practice of remaining in service more than they are entitled to by rules or laws regulating public service.
It is a deliberate, fraudulent and carefully calculated forgery aimed at reducing the age in order to secure selfish gain particularly unlawful elongation of stay in service.
Age falsification is an endemic vice in virtually all areas of human endeavor such as including sports, politics, school admissions just to mention a few.
Sadly, this is a clear manifestation of the endemic corruption ravaging the society. social, political and economic advancement in addition to denting the nation’s image as a cesspool of dishonesty, culture of impunity with a penchant for recycling dead
woods rather than creating enabling environment for fresh , youthful and energetic hands to contribute to national growth.
This is unconscionable, legally and morally wrong, reprehensible and unacceptable especially in a democratic system.
A preponderance of the perpetrators of this obnoxious and illegal act of age falsification do so to gain undue or unmerited advantage in offices, associations, communities and institutions.
People also falsify their age to enable them enjoy or occupy positions or play a role or that is specific age based by either by jerking up or reducing the age to meet the dictates of such role, position or opportunity.
People may also falsify their age to serve longer in public service to evade retirement as and when due.
Indeed one of the reasons for the increasing cases of youths’ unemployment in Nigeria today particularly in the public sector in Nigeria is the sit- tight syndrome of many public servants who engage in nefarious activities to perpetuate themselves in office.
Others also falsify their age to gain admission to schools, enlist in military and para- military agencies like the Army, Air force, Navy, police and other sister agencies especially where these agencies stipulate age benchmark for entry and exit for the service.
This is not only painful but also unlawful and the law does not overlook such wrongs as indeed, age falsification is a criminal offence punishable
social, political and economic advancement in addition to denting the nation’s image as a cesspool of dishonesty, culture of impunity with a penchant for recycling dead
woods rather than creating enabling environment for fresh , youthful and energetic hands to contribute to national growth.
This is unconscionable, legally and morally wrong, reprehensible and unacceptable especially in a democratic system.
A preponderance of the perpetrators of this obnoxious and illegal act of age falsification do so to gain undue or unmerited advantage in offices, associations, communities and institutions.
People also falsify their age to enable them enjoy or occupy positions or play a role or that is specific age based by either by jerking up or reducing the age to meet the dictates of such role, position or opportunity.
People may also falsify their age to serve longer in public service to evade retirement as and when due.
Indeed one of the reasons for the increasing cases of youths’ unemployment in Nigeria today particularly in the public sector in Nigeria is the sit- tight syndrome of many public servants who engage in nefarious activities to perpetuate themselves in office.
Others also falsify their age to gain admission to schools, enlist in military and para- military agencies like the Army, Air force, Navy, police and other sister agencies especially where these agencies stipulate age benchmark for entry and exit for the service.
This is not only painful but also unlawful and the law does not overlook such wrongs as indeed, age falsification is a criminal offence punishable
social, political and economic advancement in addition to denting the nation’s image as a cesspool of dishonesty, culture of impunity with a penchant for recycling dead
woods rather than creating enabling environment for fresh , youthful and energetic hands to contribute to national growth.
This is unconscionable, legally and morally wrong, reprehensible and unacceptable especially in a democratic system.
A preponderance of the perpetrators of this obnoxious and illegal act of age falsification do so to gain undue or unmerited advantage in offices, associations, communities and institutions.
People also falsify their age to enable them enjoy or occupy positions or play a role or that is specific age based by either by jerking up or reducing the age to meet the dictates of such role, position or opportunity.
People may also falsify their age to serve longer in public service to evade retirement as and when due.
Indeed one of the reasons for the increasing cases of youths’ unemployment in Nigeria today particularly in the public sector in Nigeria is the sit- tight syndrome of many public servants who engage in nefarious activities to perpetuate themselves in office.
Others also falsify their age to gain admission to schools, enlist in military and para- military agencies like the Army, Air force, Navy, police and other sister agencies especially where these agencies stipulate age benchmark for entry and exit for the service.
This is not only painful but also unlawful and the law does not overlook such wrongs as indeed, age falsification is a criminal offence punishable.
Regrettably, not much is done or deemed fit to be done to surgically evacuate the cankerworm ravaging the fabric and ethos of our nation despite the provision of the laws against forgery.
Indeed, the devastating and virulent vice in age falsification has tremendously impacted negatively on under our criminal code applicable in the southern part of the country and penal code in the Northern part of Nigeria respectively .
The emergence of the National Identity Management commission (NIMC) appears not to be of much help in providing the necessary national data base and control mechanism to combat age falsification.
Be that as it may, the law will not allow Age falsification barons, agents and privies to continue wreaking havoc on the nation, the economy, innocent citizens and the image of our country among the comity of nations.
Giving a misleading representation about age is a falsification of record with regards to age and this constitutes a form of forgery.
Generally, the punishment for forgery under the Criminal Code Act is three years imprisonment if any other punishment is not provided.
However, if forgery borders on a register of birth, the punishment is fourteen years jail term. Similar punishments are provided for under the penal code
It is therefore crystal clear that our law frowns at forgery and indeed, age doctoring, misrepresentation whether done orally, in written form or by affidavit as in declaration of age.
The laws represent a clear warning signal for persons particularly civil servants who engage in serial declaration of age for the purpose of remaining longer in office than necessary. They should know that they are crossing the red line and the legal consequences are enormous.
Similarly, other public office seekers or those due for exit but always manipulating to evade due retirement by false declaration of age should know that the long arm of the law will never spare them whenever the relevant law is invoked.
What is painful however is that most of the cases of age falsification which under our criminal code indeed, amount to forgery are hardly brought to court but either treated with kid gloves by easing the offender out of service or even condoned by god fathers.
It should be born in mind that shielding a perpetrator of crime cannot last forever and the law is no respecter of any person no matter how highly placed.
It is counter -productive and a great disservice for the nation for any person to shield, encourage in any manner whatsoever perpetrators of age falsification.
Citizens should always speak out and provide reasonable, cogent and verifiable information on the evil of age falsification to the relevant authorities for necessary legal steps geared towards punishing the wrong doers.
