A 66-year-old lawyer, Tunde Awogbade, and one other, Obayomi Olaleye, were arraigned by the police on Friday before an Igbosere Magistrate Court sitting at the Tinubu Magistrate Court, Lagos, for allegedly forging official stamps of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, among other offences.
The defendants were docked before Magistrate Olatunde Adefope on six-count charges bordering on conspiracy, perjury, forgery, breaking and entry, assault occasioning harm, malicious damage, and perversion of justice.
The prosecution counsel, CSP Monday Omo-Osagie, told the court that the defendants and others still at large allegedly forged the official stamps of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service and the Commissioner for Stamp Duties and the signature of one Paul Orizu on a Power of Attorney dated December 14, 2019.
The police further alleged that the defendants, between January 6 and June 22, 2023, in Orile-Iganmu, conspired to commit the offences and subsequently made false declarations on oath at the Chief Magistrate Court, Yaba, on July 12, 2024, and allegedly used the document to obtain a judgement, thereby perverting the course of justice.
Omo-Osagie told the court that the defendants also allegedly broke into Borngreat Health Care & Research Laboratories, located at No. 12 Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Orile-Iganmu, Lagos, on June 22, 2023, at about 2pm, and carted away pharmaceutical products valued at N300,000.
They were equally accused of assaulting the nominal complainant, Paul Orizu, with fist blows, machetes, clubs, and other offensive weapons, inflicting bodily harm on him.
The prosecutor also alleged that the defendants wilfully destroyed medical equipment, machines, televisions, refrigerators, human blood samples, patients’ medical results, medical record books, company registration documents, certificates, laboratory operational licences, and drugs, property of Borngreat Health Care & Research Laboratories, valued at N350m
According to the police, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 86(1), 365(2)(a)(b), 309(1)(2), 173, 350, and 351(d)(vi)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all six counts.
Following their plea, Omo-Osagie urged the court to remand the defendants pending trial.
Magistrate Adefope, however, admitted the second defendant, Awogbade, to bail on self-recognition and ordered him to produce his original Call to Bar certificate as well as provide one surety.
The court granted the first defendant, Olaleye, bail in the sum of N10m, with two sureties in like sums.
The court held that the sureties must be residents of Lagos State and must provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The defendants were remanded in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending when they are able to fulfil their bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned to June 19, 2026, for further proceedings.
