Court remands tailor for impersonation

A Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrates’ court, has remanded a tailor, Samuel Bello, 41, in prison, for allegedly forging documents purportedly from the office of the President of Nigeria and impersonation.

The Judge, Mrs. Ramatu Gulma, gave the order pending when the court would reconvene to proceed with his trial.

The accused is standing trial for the offences of forgery, using as genuine a forged document, possession of forged records, impersonating a public officer and cheating.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Moses Idakwo, a counsel representing the State Security Services (SSS), told the court that the accused was arraigned after investigations revealed his criminal activities in 2012 till date.

Idakwo said that the SSS gathered that the accused had since then presented himself to the public as a personnel of the SSS attached to the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

According to Idakwo, the accused forged the letter headed papers of the office of the president, and the signature of Mr Mike Oghiadhome, the former Chief of Staff to the president.

He said that the accused had also forged the signature of Mr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

Idakwo said that the accused also defrauded several job seekers of thousands of Naira by falsely promising to give them jobs with the Nigerian Communication Commission and other government agencies.

The prosecutor informed the court that the accused also obtained money from some other persons on the pretext that he would purchase vehicles for them from the presidency which were to be auctioned.

He said that the offences contravened sections 364, 366, 368, 133, and 322 of the Penal code.

Bello, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences leveled against him.

The case had been adjourned until August 4 for hearing. (NAN)