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SON prosecutes 2 persons for alleged forgery of regulator’s official documents

*The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has arraigned two men before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, for alleged conspiracy and forgery of the SON official documents

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

For purportedly forging official documents of the regulatory agency in Nigeria, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has arraigned two men before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

However, it was gathered that the duo, Isong Michael and Ojo Samuel, pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge made against them in the court Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

Yusuf Lawan, the Principal State Counsel of the Federal Ministry of Justice, who represented the agency, told Justice Tijani Ringim that both defendants conspired to forge an SON receipt marked APP/243835, knowing the same to be false, and with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 465, 467 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C39, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The SON also arraigned the first defendant for apparently evading the payment of N14,700 as a service charge payable to the organisation, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 31(1) of the SON Act 2015.

The alleged offences were said to have been committed March 18 this year at Oluwole market in the Apapa area of Lagos State.

If found guilty, the defendants risk a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and a fine of not less than N1 million.

After their pleas were taken, the prosecutor applied to the vacation Judge for the defendants to be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility, and for the case file to be remitted to the regular court for trial to fully commence May 2022 after the Easter vacation.

But the defence counsel, MacAnthony Aikharialea, sought the court’s permission for a short date to file and hear their bail applications during the vacation period which ends on Friday next week.

In his ruling, Justice Ringim ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre and adjourned till April 19 for the matter to be heard by another vacation judge, Justice Abimbola Awogboro.

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