Nurse, doctor get N50,000 bail each for alleged forgery

 

A Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja on Thursday granted a 42-year-old nurse, Angela Alakpu and a 49-year-old doctor, Okowokhua Lewis a N50,000 bail each for alleged forgery.
The judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko ordered the defendants to produce one surety each that must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction.
Kagarko also ordered the police to arrest and detain the third defendant, Nelson Iliya who was not in court.

    He said Iliya should be arrested before June 22 and adjourned the case till the same date for hearing.
The defendants, Alakpu of Mpape, Abuja and Lewis of Health and Human Services Secretariat, F.C.T.A, Abuja were arraigned on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, offering gratification, taking gratification and forgery.
The prosecutor, Mr Urom Otu told the court that Alakpu reported the matter at the FCDA Police Out-station, Area 11, Garki, Abuja on Oct. 26, 2015.
He said that some staff of Health and Human Services, FCTA, Abuja went to Alakpu’s dispensary at the said address and removed drugs and items from the dispensary valued at N2.5 million on May 14, 2015.

    “The Staff sealed off the dispensary, alleging that Alakpu operates an illegal dispensary in Abuja without registration and license.

“Alakpu and Iliya went to the Department of Health and Human Services, Area 11, Garki, Abuja and offered N85, 000 to Lewis as bribe to facilitate the registration of Alakpu’s dispensary and license for her to operate.
“After Lewis collected the said amount, he issued Iliya some suspected forged documents in respect of the registration for Alakpu to operate her dispensary in Mpape, Abuja,’’ he said.
Otu said that the offence contravened Sections 97, 169, 168 and 364 of the Penal Code and applied for a bench warrant against Iliya for not being in court or represented.
The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
The defence counsel, Mr Victor Ubadena made a bail application for Lewis, citing Section 36, sub section 5 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which presumes every defendant innocent until proven contrary.
He said that Lewis had been granted administrative bail by the police and had honoured every invitation, adding that if bail is granted, he would not jeopardize police investigations.
(NAN)