Court sentences man to prison for possession of forged documents — Nigeria — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

Judge Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos Special Offenses Court, Ikeja, sentenced Miracle Leleji Tega to one year and two months imprisonment for possession of forged documents.

The sentence came after Tega pleaded guilty to amended charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC arraigned Tega on charges of possessing documents containing false pretenses in violation of Section 320 of the Lagos State Penal Code 2015.

According to the prosecution, Tega committed the crime in April 2024 in Lagos, where she kept a document titled “Google Account Personal Information” from her email ((email protected)) under the false identity of “Sofia Enriquez,” an alleged American woman. citizen.

The prosecution, led by lawyer DI Oluseyi, informed the court that Tega was arrested during an EFCC operation at Victory Estate, Ajah, Lagos. He was found to be in possession of an iPhone 11 and Tecno Spark 9 at the time of his arrest.

Analysis of the devices, carried out in his presence, revealed documents showing conversations in which he fraudulently identified himself as a white woman from the United States in order to deceive his victim, an American man named Cheri Briddle.

The EFCC alleged that Tega made profits of N100 from his fraudulent activities and noted that he has since refunded N100,000 of the amount.

The prosecution presented evidence, including Tega’s statement, forged documents seized from his devices, and seized phones.

Defense lawyer Bukola Niniola did not object to the presentation of the evidence and the court accepted it as evidence.

Following the criminal complaint, Judge Ohodi declared the accused Tega guilty after hearing Tega’s request for leniency. His lawyer stated that Tega was a first-time offender and requested mercy from the court.

Judge Ohodi sentenced Tega to one year and two months in prison and ordered the seized devices to be handed over to the Federal Government.