A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has set March 11 for the formal arraignment of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and three other parties on charges of forgery and mortgage.
The other defendants in the case are:
- Okogun Polycarp,
- Batik Line International Ltd,
- Bolaji Adebajo.
The case, presided over by Justice Ismail Ijelu, could not proceed as planned on Tuesday because none of the defendants were present in court.
A lawyer from the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Mr. Daniel Apochi, informed the court that the defendants were aware of the arraignment. However, he expressed disappointment over their absence and asked the judge to postpone the case so that court officials could officially serve them summons. According to court documents obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the defendants face a four-count charge of:
- Conspiracy to commit fraud,
- Forgery,
- Fraudulent conversion of property.
The alleged crimes took place between 2008 and 2009 in Lagos State. The charge sheet states that the defendants forged the signature of the complainant, Mrs. Grace Akinwusi, on multiple legal documents. These included:
- A document authorizing a legal mortgage,
- A deed of assignment,
- An irrevocable power of attorney,
- A memorandum of understanding.
These forged documents were allegedly used to illegally transfer ownership of Mrs. Akinwusi’s property, located at No. 5B, Sasegbon Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, for their personal benefit.
Sections 287, 363, 365, and 411 of the Lagos State 2015 Criminal Laws are violated by the accused offences.
