A medical doctor, Salami Olubunmi Tajudeen, a nurse, Chimeh Okpor Sunday and one Obionwu Chinyere Amaka, have been arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court, for allegedly forging a death certificate in a bid to defraud an insurance firm of N21.8 million.
The three defendants were brought before the court presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, by operatives of Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), on charges bordering on conspiracy, attempted fraud of N21.8 million, forging of death certificate, scanning a report and confirmation of address.
The prosecutor, Mr. Henry Obiaze, told the court during the defendants’ arraignment on Tuesday, that they all committed the offences in the month of March, 2019.
Obiaze told the court that the defendants, in a bid to defraud AIICO Insurance Plc of the sum of N21.8 million, forged the death certificate of one Mrs. Onwuzuruigbo Uloaku.
To be precise, the prosecutor told the court that, the medical doctor, Salami, on July 24, 2018 at Ikoyi, Lagos, forged a scan report of the medical condition of one Mrs. Onwuzuruigbo Uloaku.
While the nurse, Chimeh, on February 25, 2019, at Lagos, forged the proof of death certificate of the same woman.
The prosecutor further told the court the only female among the defendants, Amaka, sometimes in July, 2018 at Lagos forged a document known as “Confirmation of Address”, July 24, 2018 in respect of the residential address of the woman, Mrs. Uloaku, whom they claimed to have died, with an intent that it may in anyway be used or acted upon as genuine to the prejudiced of AllCO Insurance Plc.
The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by all the defendants, are Contrary to and punishable under Section 8(a), 8(b), of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. And Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap. C38 LFN, 2004.
While the nurse, Mr. Chimeh, pleaded guilty to forging of the Scan Report, she however pleaded not guilty to other charges.
As for the medical doctor, Salami, and Amaka they pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following their plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand all the defendants in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till the conclusion of the charges against them.
But their lawyers, while not opposed to trial date, told the court that they have filed their clients bail applications and same have been served on the prosecutor.
Justice Lifu, after taking arguments on the bail applications, admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Lifu ordered that one of the sureties must be a Grade Level 12 Officer either in Federal or Lagos State government employment, while the second surety must be a landed property owner within the Court’s jurisdiction.
The judge, while adjourning the matter till April 26, for trial, ordered that all the defendants be remanded at the NCoS’ facility, till the perfection of the bail terms.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
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