On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, Justice O.A. Okunuga of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja convicted and sentenced one Tope Peter Obi to one year in jail for possession of fake documents.

According to an EFCC statement, the convict was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge of possession of fake documents, which is a violation of Section 318 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

The count is;

“That you, Tope Peter Obi, had in your possession documents in which you fraudulently represented yourself as Chris Lane, an American to one Hewitt, sometime on the 8th day of July, 2022 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.” a representation of which from the circumstance of this case you knew or reasonably ought to know to be false.”

He pleaded “guilty” to the single count.

In light of his plea, the prosecutor, G.C. Akaogu, reviewed the facts, outlining how intelligence reports linked the defendant to the alleged crime, leading to his detention and additional investigation.

The prosecution also presented the defendant’s remarks and the goods recovered from him as evidence.

Following the defendant’s guilty plea and the evidence presented in court, the trial Judge declared him guilty as charged.

Bisola Oshundunmade, the defense counsel, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.

After hearing all of the evidence and comments from both parties, Justice Okunuga sentenced the defendant to one year in prison with the option of a N500,000 fine.

Items recovered from him, including iPhone X, were forfeited to the Federal Government.

The defendant was also ordered to sign an undertaking with the EFCC to be of good behaviour and never to engage in any form of economic and financial crimes within and outside the shores of Nigeria.