Kemisola Oye
THE Nigerian Police Force (NPF) on Thursday (yesterday) arraigned a 51-year-old man, Stanley Offor before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja for alleged forgery and forceful take over of a landed property.
Offor was arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, illegal occupation of property and forceful takeover of a landed property.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Police prosecutor, Mr Emmanuel Jackson prayed for a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant pending the commencement of trial.
The defence counsel, Mr Peter Madukwe, however, informed the court of a bail application and that same has been served on the prosecution.
Madukwe prayed that the court admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms.
Justice Ismail Ijelu adjourned the case till 17 February 2025 to rule on the bail application and for the commencement of trial.
Earlier, the prosecution had told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offence with others (now at large) sometime in 2016 in Lagos.
Jackson alleged that the defendant forged the signature and receipts of Late Mrs Comfort Eruchalu, purported to have been made by her in order to facilitate the sublease of her property to a third party.
The prosecution also submitted that the defendant allegedly occupied a property belonging to Cool Comfort Africa Ltd, behind Atiku Abubakar Hall 3, Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, as an encroacher and failed to leave the said property after being required to do so on behalf of the owner of the property.
According to the prosecutor, the alleged offence violates sections 2 (2), 4(1) of the Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016, Section 516 (1) of the Criminal Code C38, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2024 and Section 365(1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
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