Four brothers, Abayomi Oluwa, 64; Ismaila Oluwa, 69; Tajudeen Oluwa, 60; and Musa Oluwa, 58 to 26 months in prison by an Ikeja Magistrate’s court for forging the official stamp and signature of a Lagos High Court registrar.


The Magistrate, Mr. A. Adesanya, who did not give an option of fine, said the accused were found guilty of the offences, which contravened Sections 363 (2), (b) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the four men had first been arraigned on June 30, 2014 on charges bordering on conspiracy and forgery, which they pleaded not guilty to. Each of them was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with sure sureties each.

The prosecutor, George Nwosu, a police Inspector, told the Magistrate’s court that the accused had filed a suit at a Lagos High Court against a traditional ruler, one Oba Mukaila, asking him to step down from the throne.

Nwosu said the court had ordered the accused to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the case.

“But the accused went ahead to forge the stamp of the court and also lifted the signature of the principal registrar from the ruling and smuggled it into a public notice in a newspaper publication that the court had ruled that the Oba (complainant) should cease to be the Oluwa of Lagos and Apapa and they also pasted some of the notices at the palace.

Meanwhile, Adesanya, in the ruling, said, “From the evidences and facts provided before the court, the accused were not truthful in their evidences and testimonies; they are, therefore, found guilty of the offences.

“You are hereby sentenced to 18 months in prison for forgery and eight months jail term for conspiracy each without an option of fine; the sentences should run concurrently.”