An Ikeja High Court, presided over by Justice Hakeem Oshodi, has granted bail to a lawyer, Chinwe Onuoha, the primary defendant in a high-profile forgery and conspiracy case, setting the amount at five million naira.
The court imposed strict bail conditions, requiring two responsible sureties, one of whom must be a blood relative.
In addition to providing their National Identity Numbers to the Chief Registrar, both the sureties and Onuoha must fulfill specific verification measures.
The defendant is also mandated to surrender her international passport and submit her residential address for confirmation by Lagos State High Court officials.
The case, which has drawn significant attention due to its implications for financial fraud in Nigeria, is set for trial on April 17, 2025.
Background on the Allegations
Onuoha was arraigned on February 20, 2025, on a twelve-count charge involving conspiracy, forgery, and the submission of fraudulent documents in an attempt to defraud the Bank of Industry (BoI).
She pleaded not guilty.
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The charges, filed by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), allege that Onuoha and others, still at large, conspired in 2020 to forge a lease agreement dated February 12, 2018.
The document was purportedly presented to the BoI as part of a scheme to obtain a loan fraudulently, allegedly to the detriment of one CSP Ngozi Braide.
Key Charges and Legal Implications
The prosecution claims Onuoha and her associates falsified the signatures of CSP Ngozi Braide and Titilayo Opeyemi on the lease agreement, knowingly submitting it as an authentic document.
The first count accuses the defendants of conspiring to commit forgery, a violation of Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Additional charges include uttering a false document and knowingly attempting to pass the forged lease agreement as genuine before the bank.
The prosecution emphasized that the alleged actions posed serious risks to the financial institution and the individuals whose identities were misused.
