Tony Osauzo, Benin
A member-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr Ugiagbe Dumez, has been arraigned before the Edo State Criminal High Court on a six-count charge bordering on forgery and impersonation.
Dumez, 45, with another fellow, now at large, were said to have committed the offence around 2001.
The lawmaker was however not in court to take his plea.
The duo was said to have conspired to commit felony, to wit: forgery.
Specifically, Dumez was alleged to have made a false document of West African Senior School Certificate with No: NGWASSCP 1230734 of December 2001 in the name of Ugiagbe Onaiwu Dumez, with examination No: 5131293070 by altering the original passport on it and super imposing his passport photograph on it.
The suspect was also said to have conspired with the other suspect now at large to commit impersonation.
Besides, the lawmaker-elect was said to have falsely represented himself to be the person who wrote the examination and whose photograph was on the certificate No: NGWASSCP 1230734 with candidate No: 5131293070; which is indeed the photograph of another person.
He was said to have knowingly and unlawfully altered a false document with the name of Ugiagbe Onaiwu Dumez.
The offences are punishable under sections 21 (a) and 467 of the Criminal Code, Cap 48, vol. II, Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976 now applicable in Edo State.
After the charges were read, Edo State Government said it was taking over the case which has Commissioner of Police as the complainant.
The state counsel, Mr Peter Ojo, said the decision to take over the matter was in pursuant to Section 212 of the constitution.
Ojo who said the suspect had been released on bail after he was arrested by the police in Abuja, assured to make him available to take his plea at the next adjourned date.
The presiding judge, Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele, subsequently adjourned the case to November 1, 2019, for the suspect to take his plea.