Businessman docked for allegedly posing as customs officer

A businessman, Sunday Agama, was on Tuesday arraigned at a court in Lagos State for allegedly impersonating a Nigeria Customs Service officer.

Agama, a resident of Amoo Street, Orile, Agege, Lagos, is being tried for forgery, impersonation and stealing at an Ikeja Magistrates' Court.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 1, 2015, at Agege.

“During investigation we found out that the accused is specialised in forging vehicle documents and number plates.

"He also posed as a serving staff of the Nigeria Customs Service by fraudulently presenting an identity card and passport photograph of himself as a customs staff." Olatunde said.

He said that the accused was intercepted by the police at a check point.

"When he was asked for the receipt and particulars of the car, he was unable to produce the original, so we suspected that the car was stolen.

"We arrested him and got a warrant to search his house and that was where we found the stamp, some particulars of different cars, different number plates were recovered,’’ he said.

Olatunde alleged that the accused later confessed that he was not a customs officer and that his identity card was forged.

He told the court that the offences contravened Sections 77, 285 and 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 363 prescribes a 14-year jail term as penalty for offenders.Agama, however, pleaded innocence of the offences.

The Magistrate, Mr O.A Aka-Bashorun, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N100, 000, with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to Nov. 11.