By GUARDIAN
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, has directed the Commissioner of Police Legal and Prosecution, Force Headquarters, Abuja to re-investigate the case leading to the arrest and arraignment in Abuja, of two Lagos State monarchs, the Onikosi of Ikosi, Oba Alamu Oloyede Onikosi, High Chief Michael Adesegun Bakare, Oba Onikoro-Elect of Oruba Agboyi Onikoro and two others.
The Monarchs, alongside two other defendants, Muyideen Fabunmi and Alademehin Samuel are standing trial before a Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged complicity and forgery of a judgment of the Supreme Court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CR/242/2022.
The IGP’s directive dated October 4, 2022, signed by his Principal Staff Officer, CP Idowu Owonunwa, copy of which was sent to the Deputy Inspector General of Police FCID, Abuja, also mandated the CP Legal to find out why the alleged forgery case got the attention of the court in Abuja when the subject-matter and all parties involved are based in Lagos, as well as all the judgments referred to in the case.
The IGP’s intervention was consequent upon a petition written on behalf of the monarchs and five others by a group of human rights lawyers led by Bar. Debo Adeleke, titled “Petition against deliberate misinterpretation of subsisting and valid court judgments from a court of the first instance to Supreme Court by officers of FCID, who are investigating forgery, fraud and criminal trespass where there is none.”
Specifically, the charge alleged that the defendants had some time in 2018, forged a Supreme Court judgment in suit No. 117 of 2936, “with spurious inscriptions as A739972 and 7/6/75, purported to have been delivered by one Justice C. W. V. Carcery, dated February 1, 1937, knowing it to be false,…”
The court, following an application for bail filed and argued by Adeleke, granted bail to the defendants on self-recognisance with no condition attached.
According to the petition addressed to the IGP, dated June 27, 2022, signed by Adeleke, the allegation of forgery of the decision of the Supreme Court is laughable and unfortunate.
It’s a lie , no police can re investigate case inside the court