Man forges appointment letter, risks 21 years

Forum 9 years ago

Man forges appointment letter, risks 21 years

A Federal High Court in Lagos has slated September 1, 2014 to deliver judgement in the suit against Wasiu Obanla charged with forgery of appointment letters into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The prosecutor, Mr. Okata Uchenna, while urging the court to convict the accused person according to the law, said the law stipulated up to 21 years imprisonment without an option of bail for the offence.

Obanla had on August 15, 2014 pleaded guilty to one count bordering on forgery of appointment letters into the NSCDC.

The matter had been adjourned till Monday for the prosecution to review the facts of the case.

On Monday, the prosecution brought its sole witness, an Assistant Superintendent of Corps, Mr. Akinbusola Festus, to court to testify against the accused person.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Uchenna, the witness gave an account of the circumstances surrounding Obanla’s arrest.

Festus told the court that on June 26, 2014 an official of the NSCDC apprehended one Mr. Jimoh Babatunde at a business centre where he was making photocopies of two forged appointment letters into the service of the NSCDC.

He told the court that upon interrogation, Babatunde told the official that Obanla issued the letters to him.

The witness said Babatunde later led the official to Obanla’s house in July.

According to the witness, Obanla was arrested and taken to the office of the NSCDC where he willingly wrote a statement admitting the crime.

The witness told the court that Obanla confessed to obtaining N93,000 from Babatunde and one Mr. Ogunlana Babatunde to issue the fake letters.

He told the court that the accused pleaded to settle amicably with the two victims, but they declined.

The court admitted the two forged letters and Obanla’s statement dated July 15, 2014 as exhibits A1, A2 and B respectively.

The prosecutor told the court to convict Obanla since he had pleaded guilty.

According to him, the offence is a grievous one and it contravenes Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Justice Okon Abang adjourned the matter till September 1, 2014.