Temporary respite on Monday came the way of oil magnate, Mr. Uche Ogah as the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit, withdrew the forgery charge leveled against him and three others before a Lagos Chief Magistate’s Court, sitting at Tinubu, Lagos.
Ogah was however re-arrested outside the court premises and whisked away immediately after the charge was struck out by security operatives, who claimed to be from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC).
Ogah alongside his oil company, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, a former staff of United Bank for Africa, Deji Somoye, and Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited, were first arraigned before the court by the SFU in June, 2016, on alleged offences bordering on conspiracy and forgery.
Ogah and his company were alleged to have something in august, 2011 forged the signature of one Mrs. Bridget Adeosun and a document known as MoU between Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited and Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, with an intent that it may be in any way used or acted upon as genuine.
While the former UBA employee, Deji Somoye and others still at large, were alleged to have sometime in August 2011, at the bank’s regional office, Palmgrove, failed to use all reasonable means to prevent the commission or the completion of the crime by the Ogah’s oil company.
When the matter came up yesterday, the Prosecutor, Mr. Henri Obasi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), informed the court of Police intention to withdraw the charge against Ogah and others.
The prosecutor informed the court that the withdrawal of the charge against all the defendants was at the directives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and it was brought pursuant to section 73(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
Upon the submission of the prosecutor, the presiding Chief Magistate, Mrs.Kikelomo Ayeye, struck out all the charge and discharged all the defendants.
However, drama ensued immediately after they were discharged of the alleged forgery charge by the court, as the security operatives, who claimed to be from EFCC re-arrested Ogah.
Though, he (Ogah and his wife), had boarded his G-Wagon Mercedes Sport Utility Van when the security operatives insisted that the car be driven to their office.
The intervention of Ogah’s lawyer, Mr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, could not stop the security operatives and Mobile Policemen from taken him to the anti-graft agency office.
No reason was given by the security operatives for his arrest.
Parts of the counts charge against the defendants before the Magistate court read: “That you, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Uche Ogah, and others at large sometime in March 2011 at Ikeja, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to wit: forgery.”
“That you, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Uche Ogah, and others at large, on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district, did forge the signature of one Mrs. Bridget Adeosun and a document known as MoU between Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited and Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, with an intent that it may be in any way used or acted upon as genuine.”
“That you, Deji Somoye, United Bank for Africa and others still at large, sometime in August 2011, at UBA regional office, Palmgrove, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did knowing that Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited design to commit an offence, failed to use all reasonable means to prevent the commission or the completion of the crime.”
