Court Remands Indian, Others For Allegedly Forging SON Receipts

Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday remanded an Indian and his Nigerian accomplices in custody for allegedly forging Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) receipts.

Justice Saidu ordered that Omkar Shinde, Chucks Okeke and Shittu Adedeji be kept in the custody of the Nigerian Correction Service after they were arraigned before him on a three-count charge of forgery.

A Senior State Counsel, Olofindare Adeleke had told the court that Okeke, Shinde and Everchem Paints, forged 15 SON receipts on February 12, 2020 at Close 6, House 4 Satellite Town, Lagos, and at 110/114 Oshodi Apapa Expressway, Isolo.

Adeleke also claimed that the defendants committed the alleged offence “with Intent to use the false documents as genuine”.

Read Also: Nigerian High Commission Owes N3.3bn Traffic Fee – UK govt

The lawyer further alleged that Okeke and Shinde forged receipts numbered: TCI/S621 dated 17/10/2016;  TCI/5523 (16/11/2016), TC1/5524 (16/11/2016), TCI/1008 (12/04/2018), TCI/1366 (21/06/2018), TCI/268 (22/02/2018), TCI/1161 (10/05/2018), TCI/ 1008 (04/04/2018) and TCI/SS40 (13/01/2017).

Others are: TCI/348 (12/03/2018), TCI/50127 (22/11/2017), TCI/4381 (30/11/2017), TCI/50128 (22/11/2017), TCI/57542 (28/06/2017) and TCI 50128 (22/ 11/2017).

The prosecution said it was with the “intention of causing the forged documents to be believed to have been issued by SON and use same as genuine.”

SON said Adedeji, on February 12 at 2, Morebise Egan, Igando, “did present false documents to SON officials, which he knew or have reason to know same to be false with intent to use the false documents as genuine”.

The alleged offence is contrary to Section 465 and punishable under sections 467 and 516 of the Criminal Code Act CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them by the court’sregistrar.

After their plea were taken, the defence counsel E.O Pobeni (for the first defendant), Tiwalade Aderoju (for the second and fourth defendants) and I. C. Ituma (for third defendant) informed the court that they had filed separate bail applications on behalf of their clients.

But the prosecutor urged the court for time to respond to the bail applications.

Following the development, Justice Saidu ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Services and adjourned the case until March 4 for hearing of the applications.