Five men, Joshua James, Dagunduro Taiwo, Fatade Samuel, Peter Otegbe and Azeez Wasiu, were today, arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court, for claiming to be officials of Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON).
The five men were also accused of forging SON’s official receipts, SON’s MBAS IDEAL Model 4942D stamp, which they allegedly used in claiming to be officials of the agency.
They were also alleged to have evaded the payment of service charge of N12, 600, to the organization.
The defendants, according to the prosecutor, Yusuf Lawal, committed the above offences on July 7 and August 25, 2022, at Sifax Ijora, Lagos.
The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the defendants contravened Sections 516; 465; 108 and 123 of the Criminal Code Act, cap C38 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010.
The also told the court that the offences contravened section 31(1) of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Act, 2015.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their plea of not guilty, the prosecutor asked the court for a date for trial, while also urged the court to remand them in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till the determination of the charge.
But counsel to the defendants, told the court that he has filed the bail application for the third defendant, Fatade Samuel, adding that same had been served of the prosecutor.
The position which was not contradicted by the prosecutor.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro, after listening to the counsel, admitted bail to the defendant in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that the sureties must present evidence of three years tax payment, and that one of the sureties must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction.
The judge, while adjourning the matter till December 2 and 5, for trial, ordered that all the defendants be remanded in NCoS’ custody.
