Courts remands Professor over forgery…To stay in prison pending bail application

Justice Saliu Saidu‪ of a Lagos High Court, ordered the remand of one Prof. Joseph Mba who allegedly forged some documents in the name of the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria Limited.

‪Saliu Saidu who presided over the court ordered that Mba should be remanded in prisons custody pending when his bail application will be heard.

‪He made the order shortly after the Special Fraud Unit, (SFU), arraigned the accused on three counts bordering on forgery and perjury.

‪It was learnt that the police had accused the Professor of forging a Special Resolution of the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria Limited dated June 11, 2012, with the intention of changing the name of the institution.

‪The said document was said to have been allegedly signed by one Dr. Austin Uwandulu to make it appear as if it was genuine so as to prejudice the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria Limited.

‪The Professor was also said to have allegedly forged another Special Resolution of the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria Limited dated June 12, 2012, wherein he stated that one Samuel Ojo, a lawyer, had been appointed as the Secretary/Legal adviser of the institution.

The document was also said to have been signed by Uwandulu.

‪The police further accused the Professor of conspiring with some persons still at large to forge a Special Resolution of an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria Limited dated June 14, 2012.

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‪In the said document, Mba, with his accomplices, allegedly stated that the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria Limited held its Extraordinary General Meeting on December 17, 2012 instead of June 14, 2012.

‪According to the police, the accused had claimed that at the purported meeting some persons were appointed as directors of the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria Limited.

‪The fake document was said to have been signed by Mba and Ojo, who had been parading himself as the secretary/legal adviser of the company.

‪The police prosecutor, Effiong Asuquo, a Chief Superintendent of Police,  CSP, informed the court that the Professor’s actions were contrary to extant laws and was therefore liable to punishment under sections 1(2)(c) and 3(1) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

‪But Mba pleaded not guilty to the charges; Asuquo urged the court to remand him in prison pending trial.

While adjourning till March 21, 2016 for trial, Justice Saidu ordered Mba to be remanded in prison pending his bail application.