Ekiti Court Sends Monarch to Police Detention Over UI Certificate Forgery

A Federal High Court in Ekiti State has sent Prince Babalola Adebomi, the Monarch (Oba) of Araromi-Ekiti of Ijero Local Government Area, to police detention over certificate forgery.

According to the court charge, which reads:

That you, Babalola Babatunde, on or about the 15th day of January 2008, at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make and uttered a forged University of Ibadan Result which you knew to be false and with intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine by the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti to offer you a job and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

That you, Babalola Babatunde, on or about the 15th day of January 2008, at the University Teaching Hospital Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did make and uttered a forged National Youth Service Corps Certificate which you knew to be false and with intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine by the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti to offer you a job and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

The 48-year-old Prince Ademobi was then alleged and arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on forgery from the University of Ibadan, which he presented to the Ado Ekiti Teaching Hospital in 2008 for a job application.

Oba Ademobi was also accused of submitting a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate in the job application, though he pleaded not guilty.

However, his lawyer, Attah Paul, said he had filed an application notice, and the prosecution counsel, Itunu Osobu, informed the court that he had yet to read the issues raised on the file by Paul.

In response, Paul prayed before the Court Judge, Justice Owoeye, to grant Prince Ademobi bail, promising he would not jump bail.

With no provision of credible surety, Justice Owoeye ruled in granting Paul’s prayers to detain Prince Ademobi at the Assistant Inspector General of Police’s office till Thursday, May 23, 2024, for adjournment.

About The Author

Mayowa Durosinmi

author

M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

See author's posts