Medical Doctor Jailed Two Years for Forged Document

Wale Igbintade

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has sentenced a 71-year-old medical doctor, Dr. Wilfred Adedokun Fajemisin, to two years imprisonment for being in possession of a forged document.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the convict, who was a former vice chairman of Mushin Local Government Area in 2017 on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony, forgery and being in possession of a forged document.

Delivering the judgement, Justice Taiwo found the defendant guilty of being in possession of forged document contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.

Consequently, the Judge sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N500, 000.

However, the court held that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the charge of conspiracy and forgery against the defendant.

The court held that: “I find that the circumstantial evidence was not compelling, cogent, and equivocal enough for me to conclude that it was the defendants that forged the Deed of Assignment.”

The court further held that failure of the prosecution to produce one Stanley Agwu, who was said to have procured the forged document, created doubt in the mind of the court that the defendant forged the document.

“In conclusion, I find the defendant not guilty of conspiracy to commit a felony and I find him not guilty of committing forgery. However, I find the defendant guilty of being in possession of the forged document, contrary to Section 6 of the Advanced Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006,” the court said.

On the charge of being in possession of a forged document, the court held that the defendant admitted the forged Deed of Assignment was found in his possession.

The defendant, Dr. Fajemisin, 71, who is medical doctor, was a former vice-chairman of Mushin LGA in 2001.

The complainants, Mary Oyedoyin Bandoh, Jadesola Lokulo- Sodipo, and Titiloye Ashamu, are children and beneficiaries of the late Chief Emmanuel Oyedele Ashamu.

They alleged that Fajemisin forged the signatures of the administrators of the estate to fraudulently transfer land belonging to the estate to himself.

The property that is subject of prosecution is located within Millennium Estate in Okealo, Gbagada, Lagos.

The petition to EFCC was written on behalf of the estate of late Emmanuel Oyedele Ashamu by its counsel, the law firm of Bolanle Bamgbose and Associates.

The prosecution commenced in 2017, where all necessary exhibits were tendered by the prosecution and the defence.