EFCC arraigns two for forging Osun college certificate

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned one Animashaun Abimbola and Adeniji Modupeoluwa for allegedly forging the National Diploma certificates of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke, Osun State.

The agency alleged that Abimbola and Modupeola forged the certificates and tendered them among other documents to the British embassy in September 2015 with the intention of obtaining British visas.

They were however said to have been apprehended by the verification team of the British High Commission who handed them over to the EFCC.

On Monday, Abimbola and Modupeole were brought before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, where they were arraigned on 40 counts.

The charges against them bordered on conspiracy, forgery and use of false documents.

The EFCC prosecutor, Mrs. I. Daramola, told the judge that the defendants conspired between themselves and one Ekuase Darlington, said to still be at large, to commit the offence.

Daramola alleged that apart from the National Diploma certificates of the Osun State College of Technology, the defendants also forged the institution’s statement of examination result, as well as a document titled, “To whom it may concern.”

Other documents which the defendants were accused of forging were a letter entitled, “Offer of Provisional Admission into Higher National Diploma Programme for 2014/2015;” and the institution’s student identity cards bearing their names.

The EFCC prosecutor, Daramola, told the court that the defendants acted contrary to sections 363(1) and 5(2); 364(1) and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State No. 11 of 2011 and were liable to punishment under the same law.

The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Their counsel, Mr. G.O. Oyebade and Mr. M.A. Bello, subsequently pleaded with the judge to admit their clients to bail in liberal terms.

Bello told the judge that his client, Modupeola, was an ulcer patient and would need to have access to her doctor.

Justice Ipaye admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The sureties, the judge said, must be landed property owners in Lagos and were required to swear to an affidavit of means.

They were also ordered to present certificates of three years tax clearance in Lagos State.

The judge, however, ordered their prison remand pending when they would fulfill the bail conditions.