25th October, 2019
By Jethro Ibileke
The Edo State Government on Friday informed the State Criminal Court, of its decision to take over a case of alleged forgery and impersonation, preferred against the lawmaker-elect for Ovia North East Constituency l in the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Ugiagbe Dumez.
Dumez, who was elected on the platform of the APC in the March 9, 2019 State Assembly election, was arraigned in absentia with others now at large, who were said to have committed the offence around 2001.
He was arraigned before Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele on six-count charge bothering on forgery and impersonation.
Among the allegations against Dumez was that he made a false document of West African Senior School Certificate with No: NGWASSCP 1230734 of December 2001 in the name of Ugiagbe Onaiwu Dumez, with examination No: 5131293070; by altering the original passport on it and super imposing his passport photograph on it.
Dumez was also alleged to have falsely presented himself as the person who wrote the examination and whose photograph was on the certificate No: NGWASSCP 1230734 with candidate No: 5131293070; which was indeed the photograph of another person.
The prosecution said the offences were punishable under sections 21 (a) and 467 of the Criminal Code, Cap 48, vol. II, Laws of the Defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, as applicable in Edo State.
When the case was mentioned on Friday, the State Counsel, Mr. Peter Ojo, informed the Court of the State’s decision to take over prosecution of the matter in pursuant to section 212 of the constitution.
Ojo stated that the suspect had been released on bail after being arrested by the police in Abuja and assured to make himself available to take his plea at the next adjourned date.
Justice Obviagele adjourned the case to November 1, 2019, for the suspect to take his plea.