Abuja, Oct. 11, 2024 (TheGavel)– Two clerics, Isaac Kilanko and Sebioba Mustapha, were arraigned on Friday before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Zuba, Abuja, facing multiple charges of alleged forgery and mischief. The duo, both clergymen at the Seed of Christ Golden Church in Kubwa, Abuja, were charged with 29 counts by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The prosecution, led by counsel Mr. John Okpa, alleged that the defendants, in collaboration with a third accomplice, John Areh, who is currently at large, forged multiple documents in a bid to claim ownership of a disputed plot of land located at Plot MF 1335 Extension 11B, Kubwa. The alleged incident occurred on June 12, 2022.
According to Okpa, the plot of land was initially allotted to Babanna Ventures on May 15, 2001, but was later reallocated to the complainant, Alhaji Musbau Lamidi. The defendants allegedly forged several key documents, including a letter of allocation from the Bwari Area Council, a conveyance of provisional approval for a Customary Right of Occupancy, a regularization of land titles, and a Right of Occupancy.
Additional forged documents presented by the prosecution included a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils acknowledgment, a Bwari Area Council receipt, and a forged Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Certificate of Incorporation for Babanna Ventures.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants, along with their accomplice, demolished a security house and the perimeter fence on the disputed land, erected a new structure, and falsely claimed ignorance of the forged documents. It was also alleged that they conspired to forge a CAC certificate for the registration of Babanna Ventures and used Lamidi’s building materials, worth N6,840,000, for their construction on the land.
The charges brought against the clerics include violations of Sections 366, 368, 364, 348, 327, 140, 96, and 287 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defense counsel, Mr. Bernard Nafagha, immediately filed a motion for bail, urging the court to grant his clients bail under the most liberal conditions, citing Section 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). Nafagha argued that the defendants had been granted administrative bail by the police on their self-recognition and had diligently complied with the terms, making it unlikely they would abscond if granted bail.
The prosecution, however, opposed the bail application, arguing that the police bail did not extend to court bail. Okpa further requested that if the court were to grant bail, it should invoke Section 165 (2) of the ACJA, requiring the defendants to deposit a sum of money as security.
After hearing both sides, Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya granted bail to the defendants on self-recognition. However, the judge warned that failure to appear in court for trial would result in the revocation of their bail.
Justice Ogbonnaya adjourned the case until January 20, 2025, for the commencement of the trial. (NAN)
Dear readers, we really need your support to keep on serving you with authoritative, truthful, and juicy stories everyday. For your support, please reach out to the editor @gavelinternational66@gmail.com