23rd June, 2024
By Paul Iyoghojie
An Igbosere Magistrate’s Court sitting at the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island, Lagos presided over by Magistrate, Mr Babalola has adjourned till 11 September 2024 the continuation of trial of two defendants, Alhaja Modinat Oluyemisi Olusesan, 67, and a businessman, Otunba Olusegun Asogbon, 58, for alleged impersonation, perjury and false information.
The trial of the defendants which started on 11 March 2021 continued on 19 June 2024 and when the defence Counsel, Barr. Ajanaku asked the Police investigating officer, IPO in the matter, DSP Andrew Edomoyi during cross-examination if he was the one who took the statements of one Remi Louis Abolore in the matter, Edomoyi replied that Abolore wrote her statements by herself.
The defendants were arrested by the police and charged before the Court on seven counts bordering on impersonating the complainant, Remi Louis Adeyemi, a threat to life, giving false information to the Police against him, lying on oaths and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.
Olusesan resides at 3, Afolabi Ekiyoyo, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, while Asogbon lives at 16, Sawyer Avenue, Dopemu, Lagos.
Police prosecuting Counsel, ASP Ibrahim Haruna had told the Court in the charge marked L/51/B/2019 that the defendants committed the offence in May 2015 and December 2016 at Providence Heights Secondary School, Fagba and 15, 16 Sawyer Avenue, Dopemu, Lagos and at the Lagos office of Public advice centre, Alausa, Ikeja, and at the Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos.
Haruna informed the court that the first defendant, Olusesan went to Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court on 20 October 2015 to falsely swear to an oath that one Asogbon was her in-law even though the Mariage between her daughter, Abiola Abolore and the complainant was still subsisting, all in a desperate bid to take over the three children the marriage between her daughter, Abolore and the complainant, Aderemi produced after Abiola suddenly packed out from Aderemi’s house and went to live with the second defendant.
Haruna further told the Court that the second defendant, Asogbon went to Providence Heights Secondary School at Fagba, Iju, Lagos to impersonate the complainant and presented a birthday card with the inscriptions ‘my humble Son’ written in his own handwriting to the first son of the complainant inside the School knowing full well that he was not the father of the child.
He said Asogbon also wrote a petition against the Complainant, Aderemi on 12 November 2015 and that during investigation, Police discovered that the information in the petition was false which prompted the Police to arrest the defendants and charge them to Court for giving false information, impersonating the complainant and perjury.
He said the offences the defendants committed were punishable under sections 411, 96(1) and 380(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Magistrate, Mr Babalola adjourned the case till 11 September 2024 for continuation of trial.