Abuja lawyer, pastor arraigned in Court over alleged land papers forgery

An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Henry Onyinyechi Nwosu and a Pastor, Jonathan Onuoha were on Monday arraigned in Court in Abuja over alleged conspiracy and forgery of documents of a plot of land located at Zone 6, Dutse Alhaji District of Abuja.

The two defendants were docked at the Chief Magistrate Court One for allegedly forging documents of land belonging to a retired Director of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Mr Royson Obijuru.

The criminal charge was filed against the Lawyer and the Pastor by another Abuja lawyer, Gbenga Adeyemi on behalf of the land owner.

However, when the charges were read to them, the two defendants pleaded not guilty.

Although the prosecution counsel, Olaolu Alao opposed their bail, Chief Magistrate Muinat Folasade Oyekan admitted them to bail on various terms and conditions.

Among others, the two accused persons were granted bail in the sum of N500,000 each and two sureties each in the like sums.

Magistrate Muinat Oyekan said the sureties must be residents in the jurisdiction of the Court and must also be Civil Servants not below Grade Level 16.

The Court also ordered that the sureties swear to an affidavit of means while the two accused persons are to be moved to prison custody on remand pending the time they perfect their bail conditions.

Trouble, however, erupted when counsel to the arraigned lawyer, Mr C.O Adie engaged the wife of the nominal complainant, Mrs Oluwatayo Adeyemi in a physical fight that lasted close to two minutes before the woman could be rescued from him.

In the end, the woman was battered in the face with injuries and the matter reported at the Zone 3 Divisional Police Station from where she was moved to Wuse General Hospital for treatment.

Before the fracas, Mr Emmanuel Onuoha, counsel to the Pastor and second defendant in the charge had challenged the authorities of the newsmen to cover the arraignment of his client.

Onuoha protested to Magistrate Oyekan who directed journalists to move out of the Court premises to do their job since they did not obtain permission to cover the arraignment.

All explanations by the journalists indicating they did not need any order to cover a court sitting were rebuffed, prompting them to comply as directed by the Magistrate.

Meanwhile, the Court has fixed June 7 for all pending motions in respect of the charge and continuation of trial.