Court remands Indian ‘who forged’ receipts of SON

A federal high court in Lagos has ordered the remand of an Indian and two others for allegedly forging Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) receipts.

Chucks Okeke, Omkar Shinde, Shittu Adedeji and a company, Everchem Paints Nigeria Limited, were arraigned before Saliu Saidu, a judge, on a three-count charge of forgery.

Olofindare Adeleke, senior state counsel, alleged that Okeke and Shinde, an Indian, 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.

He said the defendants committed the alleged offence “with Intent to use the false documents as genuine”.

SON said 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 you 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.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

E.O Pobeni, counsel of the first defendant, Tiwalade Aderoju, counsel of the second and fourth defendants and I. C. Ituma, counsel of the third defendant, told the court that they filed bail applications on their clients’ behalf.

Saidu ordered the defendants to be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Services and adjourned until March for hearing of the bail applications.