Court sentences fake surety to 22 years imprisonment

Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos has sentenced Ibikunle John Olusakin, to 22 years imprisonment for forgery and standing as fake surety for one Emmanuel Nweke.

He gave the sentence after pronouncing the man guilty on a five-count charge of perverting cause of justice, making false statements, conspiracy, forgery and surety to show cause, leveled against him by the Legal Department of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) at Panti-Yaba, Lagos.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, Inspector Goddy Osuyi, are contrary to and punishable under sections 516, 467, 117, 126, 145, and 179 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation and Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) of 2015.

The convict, who was charged in suit number FHC/L/4013c/2016, had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was first arraigned last year.However, at the last hearing of the case, he admitted committing all the offences and consequently changed his plea upon which Idris ordered the prosecutor to review the facts of the matter.

The prosecutor informed the court that Olusakin had on January 24, 2014, stood as surety for Nweke, who was charged before Justice Mohammed Yunusa with unlawful importation and possession of firearms.

Osuyi told the court that in securing Nweke’s bail, the convict had presented several forged documents which included a University of Lagos degree certificate dated March 3,1982; National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate number A815994, dated September 4, 1983 and a Lagos State confirmation of appointment letter dated October 16, 1989, among several others.

Osuyi informed the court that all documents presented by the convict bore the name of one Aderonmu Ayinde Tajudeen. He, therefore, urged the court to convict and sentence the accused accordingly.

Idris pronounced the accused guilty as charged and sentenced him to seven years, three years, and seven on the first, second and third charges.He also sentenced him to three years, one and a half years, and six months in respect on the fourth, fifth and sixth charges respectively.He, however, ordered that the terms of the sentence are to run concurrently and warned those who engage in such acts to desist or face the full weight of the law.