3 men in court for allegedly forging COVID-19 certificate

Three men on Thursday appeared in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly forging COVID-19 certificate.

The police charged Emmanuel Adelegan, 32; Ibrahim Abubakar, 30; and Tope Shoaga, 28, with conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretences and forgery.

The prosecution counsel, Lucky Ihiehie, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Feb. 8 at the Muritala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos,

He said that the defendants fraudulently obtained N33,000 from Mrs Chisom Emmanalon, with a promise to get her a COVID-19 certificate.

When the certificate was presented at the airport,he said, authorities discovered that it was fake.

“The defendants were arrested.”

The alleged offences, Ihiehie said, contravene sections 314, 365 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Report says that section 314 prescribes 15 years’ jail term for obtaining money under false pretences while section 365 attracts three years for forgery.

Following the defendants’ plea of not guilty, Magistrate O. A. Layinka, released them on bail in the sum of N100, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

Layinka ordered that all the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government(LASG).

The magistrate adjourned heating untill May 19.