Police in Ebonyi State, on Monday, arraigned two persons, Stanley Ifeanyi Nwokoro and Uzor John Ndubuisi, before a Magistrate Court sitting in Abakaliki, the state capital for alleged forgery and criminal conspiracy.
It was gathered that the suspects are notorious for forging original documents of unsuspecting members of the public.
They were arrested after forging irrevocable power of attorney papers which they allegedly used to claim a land belonging to Chief Edene Onuoha Simon.
Tribune Online reports that they were arraigned on a three-count charge, bothering on conspiracy to commit felony, forgery and breach of peace.
The Police Prosecutor, ASP Mathias Eze, told the court that the suspects committed the offence in October 2017 at Hausa Quarters Abakaliki.
Eze said the act is punishable under the Criminal Code Cap 33 Vol.1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.
The charge read: “That you, Stanley Ifeanyi Nwokoro ‘M’ and Uzor John Ndubuisi ‘M’ in the month of October 2017 at Hausa Quarters Abakaliki in the Abakaliki Magistrate District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit forgery and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516[a] of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Vol.1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.
“That you, Stanley Ifeanyi Nwokoro ‘M’ and Uzor John Ndubuisi ‘M’ on the same date and place in the aforementioned Magistrate District did forge irrevocable power of attorney papers which you use to claim title land document of one Chief Edene Onuoha Simon ‘M’ without his consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Vol.1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria.”
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The defendants’ counsel, Barrister E.O. Egwu, urged the court to admit his clients to bail in liberal terms, on the ground that the charges against them were bailable.
The Police Prosecutor, ASP Mathias Eze, did not oppose the bail application but urged the court to exercise such decision at its discretion.
In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Nnenna Onuoha, granted the two suspects bail in the sum of N200,000 each, with
one surety in like sum.
He added that the surety must prove to be a good citizen, who must be resident within the court jurisdiction and should be able to present evidence of tax clearance from 2018 till date.
The matter was adjourned till June 1, 2020, for the continuation of hearing.
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