How Alleged Fraudsters Forged FCT Minister’s Signature – Police
An Abuja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Karu, heard on Thursday how two men allegedly perpetrated a N200,000 land fraud with a forged signature of the Minister of FCT, Bala Mohammed.
The accused persons, Ikechukwu Chukwukere and Abdullahi Idris, were arraigned by the police before Chief Magistrate Hadiza Shagari on a two-count charge of impersonation and forgery on April 24.
Abbah Alfred, who is the witness and Investigative Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case, said the alleged victim was Okpara Samuel of Owner Occupier Estate in Kubwa, Abuja.
At the resumption of hearing, Alfred told the court that the accused persons collected the amount from the complainant in a deal to process land documents for him at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Sgt. Atteh Effiong, the witness stated that Chukwukere introduced Idris as an employee of FCDA with a promise to deliver the documents in good time.
Alfred alleged that the complainant got convinced by their proposal, released the money to them and they signed an undertaking to execute the process within a few weeks.
He said that the accused persons kept to their words by handing some documents to the complainant which they claimed was signed by the minister but were later discovered to be forged.
He further said that the documents were delivered in the FCDA letterhead, adding that there was no way anyone could have detected that they were forged.
According to him, investigations later revealed that Idris never worked with FCDA but merely posed as a member of its staff to carry out the act.
Further investigations, Afred alleged, showed that the accused persons formed a common intention to defraud the complainant as they were not property agents.
The prosecutor later tendered written statements allegedly made by the accused persons at the police station and the land documents as exhibits, which were admitted by the court.
Both accused persons pleaded not guilty and were granted bail for N200,000 each.
The magistrate adjourned the matter till July 21 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)