Posted by By CHRIS ANUCHA & MATTHEW DIKE on
A-77-year-old man, Mr. Joseph Adeniji, has been arrested by detectives at the Special Fraud (SFU) Milverton road, Ikoyi, Lagos, for forgery, and impersonation
A-77-year-old man, Mr. Joseph Adeniji, has been arrested by detectives at the Special Fraud (SFU) Milverton road, Ikoyi, Lagos, for forgery, and impersonation.
The suspect would also be charged with conspiracy and an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Adeniji, who is detained at the Sunday Adewusi House, Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos, was alleged to have been involved in using fake documents and some-times non-existing home addresses to stand surety for suspects on agreed fees.
According to the police, the septuagenarian had been going from one court to another, police station to police station, effecting the release of suspects, using fake documents and making false claims, thereby aiding such suspects at escape justice.
The bubble, however, burst when the suspect showed up at the SFU on April 18, 2008 and presented some documents which included Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), Nigerian passport and building plan, to support his application for release of a suspect.
The detectives, who thought the suspect was too old to tell lies, granted his request and released the suspect to him.
But when the detectives went to the supposed house in Onipanu, Lagos, for verification of the information supplied by the intending surety, they got a shocker.
The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) discovered to his chagrin that the house does not belong to Adeniji, neither is he a tenant there. Following the discovery, the suspect was arrested.
The commissioner of police in charge of SFU, Mr. Olayinka Balogun said he was cautioned after his arrest and statement obtained from him.
Balogun said the suspect admitted using fake documents to secure bail for suspects in various courts and police stations across Lagos.
Adeniji, a native of Osun State, told Daily Sun he resorted to using forged documents to stand as surety for suspects when he lost his job in a textile company.
He said life became too tough that he needed to devise a means of livelihood, hence the 'bail business."
He explained that he had two wives and four children and needed to cater to their needs. 'I need money to feed my family, I charge my clients between N10, 000 and N20, 000. I go to courts and police stations to stand as sureties to suspects. I was using fake documents, it was lack of job and how to feed my family that led me into it."