The police on Thursday arraigned a 51-year-old man, Stanley Offor, before an Ikeja High Court for alleged forgery and forceful takeover of a landed property.
By Adenike Ayodele
The police on Thursday arraigned a 51-year-old man, Stanley Offor, before an Ikeja High Court for alleged forgery and forceful takeover of a landed property.
Offor is facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, illegal occupation of property and forceful takeover of landed property.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Police Prosecutor, Mr Emmanuel Jackson, prayed for a trial date and requested that the court remand the defendant pending the commencement of trial.
The Defence Counsel, Mr Peter Madukwe, however, informed the court that he had filed an application for bail, which had been served on the prosecution.
Madukwe prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms.
Justice Ismail Ijelu adjourned the case until Feb. 17 for ruling on the bail application and the commencement of trial.
Earlier, the prosecution told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences with others still at large sometime in 2016 in Lagos.
Jackson alleged that the defendant forged the signature and receipts of one late Mrs Comfort Eruchalu, purporting that they had been made by her to facilitate the sublease of her property to a third party.
The prosecution further submitted that the defendant allegedly occupied a property belonging to Cool Comfort Africa Ltd, located behind Atiku Abubakar Hall 3, Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, as an encroacher.
The defendant, according to the prosecution, failed to vacate the said property after being required to do so on behalf of the property’s owner.
He said the alleged offences violated Sections 2 (2), 4(1) of the Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016, and Section 516 (1) of the Criminal Code C38, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2024.
It also violates Section 365(1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)
