Lawyer, LG official to face N167.9m fraud, forgery charge

An Igbosere High Court, Lagos, on Tuesday fixed July 28 for arraignment of a local government official in Oyo State, Badmus Adesina, and a lawyer, Ibukunoluwa Konu, who allegedly stole N167.9 million from an estate of a dead man.

Adesina, 59, and Konu, 44, were charged on four counts bordering on stealing, forgery and making documents without authority.

Justice O. Ogunbiyi adjourned the case following the absence of the first defendant, Adesina, who resides in Ibadan.

The judge said that the adjournment was to keep to the COVID-19 regulations of the Lagos State Judiciary.

Earlier, Adesina’s counsel, Mr O. Agboola, said that the defendant was unable to be in court due to the ban on interstate travel, as a measure to check the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police had filed the charge on Jan. 24.

Prosecution counsel, Mr Williams Tijani from the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Ikoyi, alleged that the defendants conspired and committed the offences between 2009 and 2019 in Lagos State.

He said that the duo stole N167.9 million from an estate of the late Mr Godfrey Kwashie Konu.

Tijani also said that within the same period, the defendants forged a letter of attestation of marriage certificate purportedly issued from Ibadan South East Local Government of Oyo State.

He said that the defendants also forged a letter captioned ‘Marriage Certificate’ issued from a Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

He added that the duo, with intent to defraud and without lawful authority, executed the forged letter of attestation of marriage certificate.

According to the police, the offences contravene Sections 287, 365, 370 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)