Absence Of Defendants Stall Arraignment Of 2 Lawyers For Alleged Forgery And Impersonation

The absence of two Abuja-based lawyers, Victor Giwa and Ibitade Bukola, in a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court, on Monday stalled their arraignment over allegations bordering on forgery and impersonation.

In the charge marked CR/150/25 filed by the Inspector-General of Police, the lawyers are accused of conspiring to forge a legal document purportedly issued by the chambers of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Awa U. Kalu, with the intent to mislead the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

According to the three-count charge, the lawyers committed the offence on June 28, 2024.
The prosecution claimed that Giwa and Bukola forged and signed a letter on the official letterhead of Awa U. Kalu (SAN), requesting the AGF to suspend a scheduled arraignment.

The contentious letter, titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023”, was allegedly addressed to the AGF.

It was purported to have originated from the SAN’s chambers and sought intervention to halt the arraignment scheduled before Justice Samira Bature of the High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on July 2, 2024.

In the letter, the supposed authors argued that the charges against Giwa should be withdrawn in the interest of “natural justice, equity, and fair play.

Giwa, alongside property developer Cecil Osakwe and others, were to be arraigned on a nine-count charge bordering on alleged illegal eviction, criminal intimidation, threat to life, and property damage amounting to N300 million.

The charge against Giwa and Bukola include conspiracy to commit forgery and impersonation (punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Act, 2004), dishonest execution of a fraudulent document (Section 364), and false personation of a legal practitioner (Section 179).

When the matter came up on Monday for arraignment, before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the FCT high court Apo, the two suspects were absent.

Mr J.K. Kolawole, appeared for the Inspector-General of Police while U.J. Udo represented the defendants.

Udo informed the court that Giwa, lost two of his sisters and had travelled to his village to make arrangements for their funeral.

He, therefore, prayed the court for an adjournment which Udo prayed to be given after the judges’ annual vacation.

Justice Onwuegbuzie warned that he would not entertain further excuses at the next sitting.