Lukman Olabiyi
Stephen Ezenduka, 45, has been docked over alleged impersonation of an American citizen, Mr. David Bussey. Ezenduka was recently arrested by officials of the United States Consulate General’s Office in Lagos, at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The defendant allegedly claimed to be an American citizen with the name Mr. David Bussey, a claim the police said the suspect knew to be false. A police source said that following the incident, the embassy officials notified the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) at Ikoyi.
The source said that the PSFU dispatched a crack team led by the officer in charge of the Diplomatic Desk, DSP Lawal Audu, to the airport to arrest the suspect. During investigation, the suspect allegedly confessed committing the crime. He said that he had been using the name for long to live in the United States and that he obtained the name through identity fraud.
Ezenduka was arraigned before the Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos on a two-court charge of unlawful possession of a United States of America passport suspected to have been unlawfully obtained through identity fraud.
Police counsel, Wew Adegbayi, told the court in charge No TC /30/2020 that the defendant committed the offence at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos while travelling to the United States of America. Adegbayi said that nemesis caught up with the accused, who had been living in the USA with identity fraud until he visited Nigeria and was on his way back to the USA.
He said that the offences were punishable under sections 378(1) and 327(1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate F.M Dally granted him N100,000 bail with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till April 15, for mention.