ICPC arraigns 2 civil servants for forgery

By Chizoba Ogbeche
Abuja

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two civil servants, Shitu Afeez and Babatunde Oluyemi Bamgbade, for allegedly attempting to secure a United Kingdom travel visa using forged documents, before Justice H.O. Oshodi of Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.
A press statement by the commission’s spokesperson, Mrs Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, yesterday in Abuja, said the suspects are facing a seven-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, criminal conspiracy and possession of false documents.

She said the two civil servants are also accused of conspiring to obtain a forged letter of introduction from the Lagos state government as part of an application for a British visa to attend a 3-day training programme of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management and Governmental Services Association in the United Kingdom between May 31 and June 2, 2016.
According to the statement, Afeez and Bamgbade’s action is contrary to and punishable under Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

While taking their plea separately, the accused persons entered a “not guilty” plea and in view of this, Counsels to both the 1st and 2nd defendants, Faith Ajomale and Olalekan Bolaji respectively, prayed the court to grant their clients bail.
In his ruling on the bail application, the trial judge granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200,000 each with a surety in like sum.
The sureties must be blood relations of the accused persons and residents of Lagos with evidence of three-year tax clearance from the Lagos state government.
The case has been adjourned till May 13, 2017, for commencement of trial.

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