Alleged Forgery: Nigerian Government’s suit against First Bank CEO, 2 lawyers, others

*The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, FCT, accusing the defendants of forging a ‘tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr. Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with intent to commit fraud’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The Federal Government has filed a charge against the First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Limited, its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and three others for their alleged involvement in forgery.

Mentioned also in the charge marked: CR/266/2023 and filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are two lawyers, Muftau Ande, Dibiaezue Chuks and the Branch Manager of First Bank, Utako Branch, Abuja.

It was learnt the Federal Ministry of Justice had filed the charge against the five defendants accused, among others, of forging a “tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr. Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with intent to commit fraud.”

The government further accused the defendants of dishonestly dispossessing Nwufor of his property, using the forged tripartite legal mortgage to perpetrate the purported fraud.

The defendants were absent at the mention of the case Tuesday, March 27, 2023, in Abuja, report said.

On enquiry by the court, Ndidi Ezinwa-Ukoha, prosecution lawyer, said all the defendants were yet to be served with the charge, following which Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case for arraignment till May 8 this year.

The defendants are, in count one, charged with forgery and criminal conspiracy contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code law and punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code Law.

The prosecution as well claimed that the defendants, sometimes in 2016 and within the jurisdiction of the court, had conspired among themselves to forge a tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplains British School, Mr. Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with “the intent to commit fraud and you thereby committed an offence.”

ConsumerConnect learnt that in count two, the accused persons and entity were charged with forgery contrary to Section 363 of the Penal Code law and punishable under section 364 of the same law were alleged to have sometimes in 2016, within the jurisdiction of the court, forged tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of the Whiteplains British School, Mr. Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, and thereby commit an offence.

Besides, the prosecution purported in count three that the defendants committed a criminal breach of trust contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code law and punishable under Section 312 of the same law.

The defendants are, in count three, accused of dishonestly disposing of Nwufor of his property while being entrusted with the tripartite legal mortgage, and thereby committed a criminal breach of trust.