By Robert Egbe
Three men, who allegedly presented forged documents to the Taiwanese Embassy in Lagos for visa processing, were on Tuesday brought before the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
Joseph Otisi, 29, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku in a charge marked B/19/2020, while Chukwu Ezedinachi and Nosiru Oladimeji were jointly charged before Magistrate T.B Are.
Police Counsel Wewe Adegbayi, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP), prosecuted both cases.
He alleged that the defendants committed the offences last March at the Taiwanese Embassy on No. 23A Thompson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Otisi, Adegbayi said, forged a Society General Bank, Benin statement of account No 0/0099199946-46 and submitted same for visa processing.
The court heard that Ezedinachi and Oladimeji presented a forged Nigeria International Passport marked A10777 459 bearing false and counterfeit Schegen visa with entry and exit stamps on the data pages.
Discovering the forgeries, Taiwanese officials informed the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, which arrested the defendants.
According to the prosecutor, the defendants knew full well that the documents were fake.
Adegbayi said the offences contravened under sections 409, 364(i) and 363(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Each defendant pleaded not guilty and secured bail.
Chief Magistrate Botoku adjourned Otisi’s case till May 16 for mention, while Ezedinachi and Oladimeji will again appear before Magistrate Are on May 17.
