Lukman Olabiyi
A 45-year-old man, Stephen Ezenduka who was recently arrested by officials of the United States of America Consulate General’s Office in Lagos, at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja over alleged identity fraud, has been docked.
The defendant was nabbed at the airport for allegedly claiming 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) in Ikoyi, about the arrest.
The source said that following the report, the PSFU despatched a crack team led by the officer in charge of the diplomatic desk, led by DSP Lawal Audu to the airport to arrest the suspect.
During investigation, according to the police, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime and said that he had been using the name of an American citizen, Mr David Bussey for long to live in the United States and that he allegedly fraudulently obtained the name through identity fraud.
Ezenduka was charged before the Tinubu Magistrate Court, Lagos on a two-court charge of unlawful possession of a United States of America passport with the name, Mr David Bussey suspected to have been unlawfully obtained through identity fraud.
Police counsel, ASP Wew Adegbayi told the court in charge No TC /30/2020 that the defendant committed the offence at the Murtala
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 for long with identity fraud when he visited Nigeria and was on his way back to the USA.
He said that the offences, the accused committed were punishable under
sections 378(1) and 327(1) of the criminal law 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.
He adjourned the case till April 15, for mention.