Court orders arrest of 2 lawyers over alleged forgery, impersonation

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting astatine Apo, connected Monday, issued a seat warrant against 2 lawyers charged with forgery and impersonation.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie made the apprehension bid pursuing repeated nonaccomplishment of the defendants- Victor Giwa, and Ibitade Bukola- to look earlier the tribunal to participate their plea to the complaint that was preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police.

In the complaint marked: CR/150/25, the duo were accused of conspiring to forge a ineligible papers purportedly issued by the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Prof. Awa U. Kalu, with the intent to mislead the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

According to the three-count charge, the alleged offence occurred connected June 28, 2024.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged and signed a missive connected the authoritative letterhead of the SAN, requesting the AGF to suspend a scheduled arraignment.

The contentious letter, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa connected Charge Number: CR/222/2023”, was allegedly addressed to the AGF.

It allegedly sought involution of the AGF to halt an arraignment that was scheduled earlier proceedings Justice Samira Bature of the precocious court.

The IGP, successful the charge, maintained that the 2 lawyers committed offences punishable nether Section 97, 179 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, 2004

At the resumed proceeding of the tribunal connected Monday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Eristo Asaph, noted that the defence lawyer told the tribunal that the 1st suspect was bereaved, hence his lack for the scheduled arraignment.

The prosecution counsel further noted that it was connected the spot of an exertion by the suspect that the lawsuit was adjourned.

He, therefore, wondered wherefore the duo were besides absent successful tribunal for the lawsuit to proceed.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mr. Ogbu Aboje, told the tribunal that the 1st defendant, Giwa, wrote a missive that was accompanied with a aesculapian study dated September 3, indicating that helium had a wellness situation helium described arsenic “Degenerative upset of the lumber vertebrae,” successful summation to his hypertensive condition.

He added that the 2nd suspect arsenic went to the infirmary connected Monday greeting to support to a regular assignment for the immunisation of her daughter.

More so, helium drew attraction of the tribunal to an exertion the defendants earlier filed to situation its jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Dissatisfied with the developments, the prosecution counsel urged the tribunal to contented a warrant for the defendants to beryllium arrested y information agencies and produced for their trial.

In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that having listened to some parties, helium was minded to accede to the prosecution’s request.

He tribunal stressed that the aesculapian study did bespeak that the 1st suspect would not beryllium capable to be court, adding that the 2nd suspect did not adduce immoderate worldly to warrant her absence.

Consequently, relying connected the proviso of conception 266 (2) and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), Justice Onwuegbuzie issued a seat warrant for the defendants to beryllium arrested and produced earlier the tribunal connected October 8.

The station Court orders apprehension of 2 lawyers implicit alleged forgery, impersonation appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.