An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Monday granted bail to a 40-year-old lawyer, Mr. Edward Oseghale, charged with procuring fake judgment and using it to evict tenants from their homes.
The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a five-count charge bordering on forgery.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The chief magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Ojo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000, and asked him to provide two responsible sureties as part of the bail conditions.
She said one of the sureties must be a property owner in Lagos while the other must be working in a reputable company.
“Both must be gainfully employed and show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.”
NAN reports that the police prosecutor, Kenrich Nomayo had earlier told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 29 at 10.00am at Yaba Magisterial District.
He said the accused forged a court judgment with marked MCY/368/15 purported to have been prepared by Chief Magistrate Toluwalase Abayomi of Court 4 in Surulere, Lagos.
He alleged that the legal practitioner also forged the signature of Mrs. Busola Banjo, the registrar of Yaba Magistrates’ Court.
“On July 6, the accused also forged the signature of Magistrate O.A. Banjo on a forged judgment with suit no. MCY/103/18 and forged a magistrate court of Lagos State cashier stamp,” Nomayo said.
It would be recalled that on September 25, the chief judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke after Oseghale was apprehended, had vowed to ensure he was prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
Oke had noted that the forgery of orders, rulings and judgments had become rampant in the state.
“The matter is already in the hands of the police and we will ensure that he is prosecuted. The officers of the Lagos State Judiciary who are involved are willing to testify against him,” Oke said.
The offences contravene Sections 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 and stipulate three years jail term for offenders.
The case was adjourned until November 8.
