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Tag: Forgery

  • Alleged forgery: Fani-Kayode pleads not guilty, granted N5m bail

    Alleged forgery: Fani-Kayode pleads not guilty, granted N5m bail

    The Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has granted bail to a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, in the sum of N5 million.

    Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe granted the bail on Friday following an oral application made by the counsel to the former minister, Wale Balogun.

    The bail conditions included that the defendant must fill an undertaking to attend all his trial dates and to present a surety in like sum, who must be resident in the court’s jurisdiction and should also fill an undertaking that the defendant would attend all hearings.

    Before the court heard the bail application, Justice Abike-Fadipe first ruled on an application by the former minister challenging the powers of the jurisdiction of the court to try him on the charge of forgery and procurement of a ‘fabricated’ medical report made against him by the Economic and Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    It dismissed the objections of the defence counsel and held that it had jurisdiction to try the case. This paved the way for Fani-Kayode to be arraigned on all 12 counts of alleged forgery of medical reports to which he pleaded not guilty.

    The anti-graft agency had specifically accused Fani-Kayode of procuring one Dr Ogieva Oziegbe to issue the fake medical report, which he allegedly tendered before the Federal High Court where is currently standing trial before Justice Daniel Osiagor for money laundering allegation.

    But the former minister had, through his lawyer, submitted that the alleged offence was said to have occurred in Abuja and not in Lagos, and the court lacked the powers to try him.

    Relying on Sections 374 and 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, as well as section 23 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State amended in October 2021, Justice Abike-Fadipe held that the purpose of these provisions of the law was to ensure speedy dispensation of justice and to reduce delay tactics often used by defendants to stall criminal trials brought against them.

    The judge also noted that the arguments raised by the defence counsel, that the charges fell outside the scope of the EFCC prosecuting the matter, showed that it was challenging the validity of the charges which fell within the jurisdiction of the court.

  • Arraignment of Fani-Kayode for alleged forgery stalled

    Arraignment of Fani-Kayode for alleged forgery stalled

    The arraignment of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode for allegedly forging medical reports was on Tuesday stalled at an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

    Embattled Fani-Kayode was to be arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a 12-count charge of procuring execution of documents by false pretence.

    Other charge include use of false documents, fabricating evidence, use of fabricated evidence.

    Counsel to Fani-Kayode, Mr Wale Balogun challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the criminal suit.

    “We filed before your lordship an application bordering on your lordship’s jurisdiction to entertain an arraignment,” he said.

    Balogun noted that the alleged offences occured in Abuja and a Lagos court does not have jurisdiction to hear the suit.

    Opposing the submission, EFCC Counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo said that the merely filing of an objection to a charge will not prevent a court from taking a plea.

    “It is elementary that what triggers your lordship’s jurisdiction in a criminal proceeding is the taking of the plea so your lordship can now assume or decline jurisdiction.

    “Section 393(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 states that the defendant being tried on an information can raise an objection to a charge or information only after the plea has been taken,” he said.

    Oyedepo urged the court to dismiss the defence’s application on the grounds that it is an attempt to frustrate the trial because the defendant was charged under the Lagos laws and can only tried in Lagos.

    Justice O.O Abike-Fadipe adjourned the case to Dec. 17 for ruling.

    According to the EFCC, the former Aviation Minister through one Dr Ogieva Oziegbe procured fake medical reports on various occasions to avoid attending his trial at the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.

    “He procured the false medical reports on Jan. 31, 2018, May 30, 2019, Nov. 24, 2020, March 23, Oct. 11.

    “The defendant falsely purported before a Federal High Court, Lagos in charge number FHC/L/251C/2016 that the reports were issued by either Kubwa General Hospital or the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Federal Staff Hospital,” Oyedepo said.

    The prosecutor said the offences violate Sections 88(1), 365(3), 366 and 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.

  • Police invite Bayelsa monarch, Ebifateli Edi over alleged forgery of attestation form

    Police invite Bayelsa monarch, Ebifateli Edi over alleged forgery of attestation form

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    The police has invited a Bayelsa monarch, Solomon Ebifateli Edi, a first class chief and Sylvernus Matthew over an alleged forgery of attestation form.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reliably gathered the police visited his ( Edi’s) residence in Portharcourt, and a warrant of arrest issued in his name was given to his wife who claimed her husband was not available.

    Edi, the 1st class traditional ruler of Koluama clan in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State allegedly in active contract with Sylvernus Matthew, forged attestation form, the originally gazetted person as Paramount ruler of TAMAZO Kingdom in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State.

    According to the paramount traditional ruler of Tamazo, HRH Diepreye Amadein,
    after the screening of all unclassified community which he took part in 2016, by 2019 the Gazette was published, he applied to the State Government for a copy where he found out that his name was on no 150 of the fourth class traditional rulers list.

    He explained that:”By December government started paying me monthly stipends and by January 2020 I got informed that some group of persons in conivance with some top government functionaries were on the move to print another Gazette, when the so-called Gazette was printed, I discovered that my name was substituted with one Sylvernus Matthew Bakana.

    ” I instituted a case seeking for the interpretation of the Gazette on the Chieftaincy Laws from the Bayelsa State government, if an individual or group of persons has the right to reprint the Gazette in suit no 0HC/6/2020.

    A source privy to this development told TNG that: “When the State Government Council now moved to the Ministry of Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs for information, the then Permanent Secretary Gibson Ockia, who was allegedly part of the forgery and reprinting of another gazette, brought out his file from the Ministry where they extracted his attestation form which Sylvernus Matthew does not have (copy attached).

    “The attestation form was scanned, mutilated , dates totally removed, changed his name to that of Sylvernus Matthew and also mutilated his title GBAYEKOKO 2 to the community name TAMAZO.

    “After proper screening,it was later discovered that the seal belonged to the 1st class king who was part of the forgery, the document on which the seal is, belongs to him, it’s his own screening document, was also forged and they use it to authenticate the mutilated document because Sylvernus Matthew has no screening document with the Bayelsa State government.

    “They used it to file the defense against him to divert the court judge attention from the originating summons he filed.

    “Now the state government has confirmed to the Inspector General of Police that they were operating with fake documents.

    “They undermined the fact that he had been issued certificate of recognition which sylvernus Matthew does not have.

    Amadein in his quest for justice petitioned the state government who promptly replied that he was the authentic monarch of Tamazo(letter attached).

    Also, he formally petitioned the IGP’s office and the IG also wrote the state government and the government affirmed Amadein as the recognised Paramount traditional ruler of Tamazo.

    See letter below:
    CR:3000/X/FHQ/AB) /SEB/TA/VOL. 249/14
    28 July, 2021
    The Technical Adviser to the
    Governor on Chieftaincy Affair,
    Yenagoa,
    Bayelsa State
    INVESTIGATION ACTIVITES
    RE- CASE OF THREAT TO LIE IMPERSONATON. FORGERY AND
    CONDUCT LIKELY TO CAUSE BREACH OF PUBLIC PEACE
    This office is investigating the aforementioned case in which the
    paramount rulership of Tamazo Autonomous Community Koluama
    Clan/kingdom in southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State is in
    dispute
    2. In the light of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish us with the
    authentic paramount ruler of the said community
    3. Accept the assurances of the esteemed regards of the Deputy Inspector
    General of Police Force Criminal Intelligence & Investigation Department,
    please.
    ACP Y. Y. ABUBAKAR
    ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE (SEB)
    FOR: DEPUTY INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE
    FORCE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT (FCID)
    ABUJA.

    See forged and other vital documents below:

  • NECO dismisses 19 staff for certificate forgery

    NECO dismisses 19 staff for certificate forgery

    The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed 19 of its workers for allegedly forging their certificates.

    Their dismissal was approved by the council’s Governing Board after perusing the report of a Staff Certificate Verification Committee it set up at its 52nd regular meeting.

    NECO’s Head of Information and Public Relations Division, Azeez Sani, announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    The statement said the committee wrote the institutions some of the affected workers claimed to have attended and the institutions denied issuing them certificates.

    It reads: “The Governing Board of the NECO has approved the dismissal of 19 staff members from its service for certificate forgery.

    “A Staff Certificate Verification Committee constituted by the management carried out its assignment diligently by inviting some workers with questionable credentials to appear before it, during which the affected workers attested that their certificates were forged.

    “The committee also contacted the schools and institutions which the affected workers claimed to have attended and they denied having certificated them.

    “At its 52nd regular meeting, the Governing Board of the council vetted the report of the Certificate Verification Committee and approved the dismissal of the affected workers.

    “…The Governing Board had, at its 17th Extra-Ordinary meeting in November, 2019, also approved the dismissal of 70 workers for certificate forgery.”

  • Certificate forgery suit for 7th time malicious – Rep Idirisu

    Certificate forgery suit for 7th time malicious – Rep Idirisu

    The member representing Ajaokuta Federal Constituency of Kogi state, Lawal Idirisu has described as “pure blackmail” and “malicious” publication on a fresh certificate forgery suit against him.

    Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aloysius Adeiza, who contested for the seat, had on the 6th February, 2020, filed a fresh suit at the FCT High Court, Abuja, challenging the lawmaker’s education qualification.

    The suit is challenging the National Diploma Certificate issued to Idirisu by the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

    Reacting to the publication on the suit, Hon. Idrisu through his Counsel, Tawada Adams Esq, told newsmen that it was the 7th time the case of alleged certificate forgery was being filed, adding that all previous judgments on the matter had been in his favour.

    He said that several courts of competent jurisdiction including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court had ruled in his favour on the matter.

    He, therefore, wondered how new reports in an online medium published on February 20, noted that a fresh suit, which would be the 7th, had been filed on the same matter.

    He said the publication was intended to mislead the Nigeria Police and the general public.

    He said the media publication was politically motivated, stressing that having been decided at different courts of law, the fresh suit was tantamount to abuse of court process.

    “The said online publication is purely politically motivated as the issue of the alleged forgery against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu has since been settled by superior courts of the land.

    “Therefore, consider the said publication as a pure blackmail coming from people whom have tried through the courts without success and have now resorted to cheap blackmail, despite the clear position of the courts on this issue,” he said.

    He, therefore, enjoined the general public to disregard the latest publication on the fresh suit, as it is “highly subjudice”.

    “We therefore contend that any other criminal allegation instituted on same facts of forgery against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu amounts to an abuse of court process, in which the complainant, Hon. Aloysius Okino Adeiza has been stopped from raising similar complaints.

    “We consider the said publication as unfounded, malicious and highly subjudice, since the issue of a pending criminal charge against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu is being challenged in court at the moment in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/200/2020”, the statement further added.

    It would be recalled that, Adeiza of the PDP, had in 2015, challenged the qualification of Idirisu to contest the House of Representatives election, but lost the suit at both the Tribunal sitting in Lokoja and the appellate court.

    The Supreme Court of Nigeria had also dismissed the allegation of certificate forgery against Idirisu.

  • Exposed: How 11,000 civil servants on Rivers payroll forge their ages

    Exposed: How 11,000 civil servants on Rivers payroll forge their ages

    The Rivers Government has said that during the recent biometric exercise on civil servants and pensioners as directed by Governor Nyesom Wike, it uncovered no fewer than 11,000 civil servants who forged their age in service.

    The government also discovered not less than 1,500 civil servants with more than one pay point, meaning that they were stealing from the government by earning double salaries from different ministries.

    It also identified no fewer than 5,000 fake pensioners during the last biometric exercise, just as the government has concluded plans to begin fresh biometric capture of all retiring civil servants from next week.

    According to The Tide, the Rivers Government newspaper, these details were made public by the Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Mr. Ibifuro Asawo, in Port Harcourt, on the activities of his department in the past two years.

    Asawo explained that the new policy of the Wike administration was to ensure that all sectors were driven by ICT to inject transparency and accountability in the system.

    “We plan to synergise and link all ministries, departments and parastatals for the ease of doing business in the state,” he emphasised.

    On the new policy of government to run an ICT-driven administration, the governor’s aide said that the new automated public service system was such that no civil servant can cut corners.

    “What we have done now is such that we know how many people will be retiring each month and at each quarter, and so, nobody can short-change government”, Asawo noted.

    The plan in the upcoming months, according to Asawo, is to move down to the grassroots, stressing, “We plan to cover the 23 local government areas. Our vision is to encourage them to invest in ICT because that is the way to go now.”
    Currently, he revealed that the ICT department has covered all health institutions in the state through an automated and integrated system.

    “Everything we are doing now is going digital. So, if you go now to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, doctors are now using the system to register patients and keep records for easy tracking and retrieval.”

    The next step, he revealed, is to capture all health facilities and professionals online. This, he said, will curb quackery.

  • Certificate forgery: Court nullifies nomination of Adeleke for Osun guber poll

    Certificate forgery: Court nullifies nomination of Adeleke for Osun guber poll

    An Abuja High Court on Tuesday nullified the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the September 2018 Governorship election in Osun State.

    Two Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wahab Raheem and Adam Habeeb, had in 2018 barely few days to the governorship election in Osun State had dragged Adeleke to court, accusing him of not possessing the requisite educational qualification (secondary school certificate) to contest for the office of governor.

    They prayed the court for an order to disqualify Adeleke from participating in the Sept 22 governorship election in the state on the grounds that he does not possess the requisite educational qualification.

    Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Justice Oathman Musa annulled Adeleke’s nomination on the grounds that Adeleke offended section 177 of the 1999 constitution as amended. The section stipulated that candidates for the position of governor must be educated up to secondary school level.

    Justice Musa said while the court’s findings showed that Adeleke entered secondary school in 1976, there was no record to show that he actually graduated as his name was no longer seen in the school’s register from 1980.

    He further stated that the result Adeleke attached to his form CF001 which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was fake, as it was found to be different from the one presented to the court by the principal of Ede Muslim High School, Ede, Osun State.

    Meanwhile, Adeleke’s lawyer Nathaniel Oke SAN has faulted the judgment of Justice Musa on the grounds that the judge erred in law by going out of the way to source for evidence to arrive at his “unjust conclusion”.

    He submitted that the court erred particularly when it ignored WAEC evidence that Adeleke was educated up to Secondary School level as required by law.

    While he disclosed that they will immediately commence filing of their appeal against the Judgment, the senior lawyer expressed confidence that the judgment cannot stand at Appeal Court.

    Thisday recalled that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) during the court’s proceedings confirmed that Adeleke sat for the May/June examination of the council in 1981.

    The council in an affidavit deposed to by one Osindeinde Adewunmi and filed at the registry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court confirmed that Adeleke sat for the Senior Secondary School exams in May/ June 1981.

    The confirmation was contained in a four paragraph affidavit filed in compliance with the order of Justice Oathman Musa requesting the examination body to confirm whether the governorship candidate sat for the 1981 exams.

    Justice Musa, had in a ruling delivered on September 11 directed that WAEC should depose an affidavit, to either deny or confirm that Adeleke sat for the Exams the Council conducted at Ede Muslim High School in Ede, Osun State, in 1981.

    It equally said the examination body should file the ledger containing results of Ademola and his mates with whom he sat for the examinations, as well the verifying affidavit, within five days of being served with the enrolled order dated September 11.

    WAEC however in the sworn affidavit confirmed that, Adeleke with center number 19645 and candidate number 149 indeed sat for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in May/June 1981 conducted by the council at Ede Muslim School situate at P.O. Box 6 Yidi Road, Ede, State of Osun.

    Accompanying the affidavit was a ledger containing the result of all candidates (001-221) who sat for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in the said school.

    The certified true copy of the ledger which is marked as exhibit WA1, however showed that Senator Adeleke, sat for only English Language in the examination.

    In arguing their case the plaintiffs, through their counsel, Bankole Akomolafe, on Sept 11 claimed that the PDP candidate did not sit for the WAEC examination in 1981 because the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination had not been introduced in the country as at then.

    They further alleged that the NECO examination he claimed to have sat for could not be genuine because National Examination Council (NECO) had not been established at the time Adeleke claimed to have sat for the examination.

  • Alleged forgery: Two senior lawyers clash over N630m loan documents at reps sitting

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja
    Two senior lawyers that are solicitors to First Bank Nigeria Plc and Whiteplain British School Abuja Chief Bola Olotu Esq and Chief Mike Ozekohme SAN who represented both parties at the resumed sitting of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions probing alleged forgery of N630 million loan documents disagreed and disparaged each other on the matter on Tuesday in Abuja.
    Whereas Ozekohme said that the owner of the land that sold it to the administrator of Whiteplain British School did’nt sign any document as alleged by the First Bank team, Olotu maintained that the matter is as good as dead because the court had made a pronouncment which should be obeyed by all parties to it.
    Ozekhohme said that the court judgement on the matter is being sidelined by parties in the dispute. He also said that the First Bank team had started erecting fences and other structures at the school premises in complete disregard to the court judgement on the matter.
    The legal luminary appealed to the House Committee to ensure that it resolves the dispute in such a way that the school which currently has student enrolment does not suffer or even closed down due to the dispute over loan used in building it.
    He hinted that it was Guarrantee Trust Bank Plc that initially provided the N11 milion that the administrator of the school requested before the bank approached the First Bank Plc for the disputed loan which the committee is probing.
    However, the Director of Land of of the FCT who spoke for Abuja Geographic Information System AGIS Mr.Rahman Jibrin Abdullahi said that the plot of land located at plot 321 Cadastral Zone Dakibiyu District Jahi Abuja was allocated to France Lee Nigeria Limited in 2013.
    He further told the committee that he is in possession of documents showing the list of directors of the company and that it was the company that sold it.
    A member of the Committee Hon. Simon Arabo who stood in for the Chairman Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta however directed all the parties in the dispute to photocopy all the requested documents on it and give them to the Committee Secretariat for proper scrutiny.

  • Alleged Forgery: Reps Cttee gives FBN, CBN, AGIS 7-days to avail all documents

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja.
    The alleged forgery controversy between First Bank and Whiteplain British school Abuja over N630 million loan became more controversial at the maiden sitting of the Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives, following the inability of the parties to make convincing presentations to the panel.
    While the House committee was at loss by contradictions from both the defendants and petitioners, following which it gave a 7- day ultimatum to the parties to provide every detailed document involving the transaction, it formally directed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,to begin an independent probe of the allegations levelled against First Bank , since it plays a regulatory role over commercial banks in the country.
    Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee of the House Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta on Thursday said at the inaugural meeting, that the probe panel was all out to deliver justice and not to rewrite or rearward judgements already made by the various courts of competent jurisdiction on the matter before it
    Abonta spoke on the sidelines of the position of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN whose representative at the investigative hearing, said the apex bank could not wade into the matter because it would be subjudiced if they did, since the dispute was already before the courts.
    “Our outcomes may prejudice the court case: if it were First bank, we will investigate, but when it is the petitioner that went to court, it is very inappropriate for us to investigate” the CBN argued
    The apex bank noted that it could delve into the matter only if the courts directs it to, but in this case,no, until probably it is subpoenaed .
    But again the panel disagreed with the CBN on the grounds that the current disputes between first bank and Whiteplain British school had far reaching implications on the general economy and as such central bank needed to intervene to forestall future occurrences and save the economy.
    Nonetheless while CBN agreed to look into the matter and produce an independent opinion to the House committee, accusation and counter accusations from both the petitioner, Dr Nwufoh, First bank and France Lee, the original owners of the land in which the British school in dispute was built, took the entire proceedings.
    Whereas, Mrs Francess Ibeh of France Lee denied ever selling the land to First bank but wondered how her signature and that of her son who has been out of the country for over twenty years appeared on a mortgage document upon which the bank wants to take over the British white plain school.
    “I didn’t sell a land to First Bank. First bank forged my signature and that of my son over the land” she said
    She said the land was sold to Dr Nwufoh of Legacy academy, adding that ” I didn’t sign the tripartite agreement. They signed my signature and that of my son who has been out of Nigeria for over 22years’
    In his submission, the petitioner told the committee that he did bought a land from France Lee upon which a certificate of occupancy,C-of-O was obtained .
    The petitioner Dr Nwufoh,further explained that he only signed a two party agreement with first bank and not a tripartite negotiation, wondering how a land he bought in 2008 and in 2014, ” they said the person who i bought the land from surteied me”
    He said ” They forged documents in a land i bought in 2008 and in 2014, they said the person who i bought the land surteied me”
    But the First Bank officials , in their various submissions, maintained that every transaction was legal and followed due process with all the stakeholders being carried along
    They denied forging documents as it involved the mortgage and loan facility given to the management of the British school, noting that every of their actions so far, followed due legal process and in compliance with the two judgements given by two separate courts
    But in ruling, the Committee helsman said, ‘ I want all the documents . I don’t want to sit on an appeal or a court ruling: if a lawyer forged documents, we will see to it that he is derobed”
    He however slammed AGIS for not doing due diligence on the land in dispute and therefore directed it to within three days provide it with the titles of the land.
    Abonta demanded for an independent opinion as regulator on the matter from CBN. From first bank, the panel wants the name of the lawyer involved in the mortgage agreement, as well as perfected the land titles, the name of the first bank manager in charge of the transaction and all necessary documents .
    The panel noted that the documents will assist in determining what went wrong, even as the committee reiterated that it was not competing with the court judgements on the matter
    It would be recalled that in a petition dated November 26, 2018 and signed by Whiteplain British school’s administrator, Dr. Francis Nwufoh, the petitioner alleged that First Bank used forged documents to seal the school over a loan yet to expire.
    The petitioner further said that First Bank has commenced erecting parameter fence against the content of the judgment delivered by the court
    The investigative hearing continues on Thursday, March, 28, 2019.

  • BREAKING: EFCC arraigns Obasanjo’s in-law over alleged forgery

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday arraigned a businessman, John Abebe, for alleged forgery.

    Abebe, who is a younger brother to the late former First Lady, Stella Obasanjo, was arraigned on four counts before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja.

    The EFCC, in the charges, claimed that Abebe “knowingly forged” a November 30, 1995 letter written by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited to Inducon (Nigeria) Ltd.

    The anti-graft agency claimed that the businessman “illegally inserted” into page 2 of the said letter “the following statement: “Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option’ only applies to the pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of oil in any of our fields.”

    According to the EFCC, Mr. Abebe also attempted to “pervert the course of justice” by tendering the allegedly forged November 30, 1995 letter “as a fabricated evidence” in court, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/224/2010 between Dr. John Abebe, Inducon Nigeria Limited and Statoil Nigeria Limited.

    The EFCC accused him of making an attempt to “mislead the court” by using fabricated evidence, contrary to Section 120 (2) of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

    The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that by attempting to pervert the course of justice, Abebe violated Section 126 (2) of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

    The prosecutor added that forgery was a violation of Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

    But when the charges were read to the businessman on Thursday, he pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Mojisola Dada, while adjourning the case to enable the defence counsel, Mr. Uche Nwokedi (SAN), to file an application for his client’s bail, ordered that Abebe be remanded in Ikoyi Prison.