Court remands pastor for allegedly forging oil company’s documents

A Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Ayodeji Oluokun, was, on Tuesday, remanded in a correctional centre by an Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly forging an oil company’s documents. Justice Sherifat Solebo ordered that Oluokun be remanded at the correctional centre pending the perfection of the bail conditions granted him by the court. “The defendant is to be remanded in a correctional facility till he perfects his bail condition,” she said. Solebo granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000, with a surety in like sum. She ordered that the surety must be gainfully employed, with evidence of three years of tax payment to the Lagos State government. Solebo, thereafter, adjourned the case till April 16, for trial. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that earlier, Oluokun had pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge of forgery, uttering of false documents and making documents without authority. The charges were brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Mr Frank Ofoma, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in Lagos on July 12, 2005. Ofoma said that the defendant forged the document of Peak Petroleum Industries Nigeria Limited. “The defendant, with intent to defraud, forged a document titled “Resignation from the Board of Peak Petroleum Industries Nigeria Limited, which was dated July 12, 2005. “Oluokun altered the document and presented it to the Chairman of the company, Sir Moses Oluokun as genuine. “He also executed the forged document without the lawful authority of one Ruth Atinuke,” Ofoma said. The Defence Counsel, Mr A. Bolaji, via a bail application dated March 2, had asked the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms. The EFCC prosecutor, however, did not oppose the defence counsel’s request for bail but urged the court to grant bail conditions that would ensure that the defendant attends his trial.