Lagos state college provost jailed three years for forgery

The Provost of Adonai Advanced Institute of Management, Samson Orijugo, has been convicted and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for forging a notification of result on the letterhead of Lagos State University.

Penpushing reports that Justice Modupe Nico-Clay of Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja convicted Orijugo on a two-count charge of forgery, holding that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The court found that Orijugo, in 2015 at Badagry, forged a notification of result issued to a student, John Chibuzor Okoro, using Lagos State University (LASU) letterhead to falsely represent that Adonai Institute was affiliated with the university.

Penpushing further reports that the provost was arraigned on December 2, 2021, pleaded not guilty, and the trial began on March 8, 2022, while the prosecution, led by Mrs T. Olanrewaju-Daud, called three witnesses and tendered seven exhibits and Orijugo testified in his defence.

The judge in her judgment, held that the notification of the result tendered before the court was issued by the convict and was forged, relying on evidence establishing that Adonai Institute had no affiliation with Lagos State University (LASU), contrary to the representations made to the student and his mother.

Penpushing also reports that the first prosecution witness, Patience Okoro, the student’s mother, testified that Orijugo introduced himself as the provost of a Benin Republic-based institution affiliated with Lagos State University (LASU).

The woman said the provost issued her son a notification of result on Lagos State University (LASU) letterhead after completing his studies, adding that she met Orijugo on May 12, 2012, in a commercial bus while returning from Iyana Oba Market.

Penpushing reports that the first prosecution witness stated that Orijugo spoke about Adonai University, gave her flyers, and claimed the institution was affiliated with Lagos State University (LASU).

The woman explained that she expressed doubts because she was a Lagos State University (LASU) graduate and had never heard of such an affiliation, but Orijugo insisted that the university was one of the best in the Benin Republic and affiliated with the university.

Penpushing further reports that she said she later visited Orijugo’s residence with her son, where he showed them, transcripts translated into English on Lagos State University (LASU) letter head.

The witnessed testified that she made independent enquiries at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, where officials said the school was recognised but were unaware of any English or French sections.

Penpushing also reports that Okoro said she subsequently enrolled her son through Orijugo and made several payments for tuition, medical fees, mobilisation, and convocation, often without receipts.

The woman stated that Orijugo repeatedly promised that her son’s certificate would be issued during convocation but failed to deliver, adding that it was later discovered that the documents were fake when her son sought employment in 2018, an experience that led to severe psychological trauma for him.

Penpushing reports that another prosecution witness, Ojei Oziegbe, an Assistant Chief State Counsel at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, testified that she wrote to Lagos State University (LASU) during the investigation and received a reply confirming that Adonai Institute of Management was not affiliated with the university.

The letters were admitted in evidence, and in rejecting the defence, the court held that the case was not about the issuance of a degree certificate but the forgery of the notification of result, which Orijugo admitted he handed to the student.

Penpushing further reports that the judge equally dismissed the argument that the prosecution ought to have called a Lagos State University (LASU) official, ruling that the documentary evidence from the university was sufficient.

The judge stated that the document was presented as genuine on a Lagos State University (LASU) letterhead to create the false impression of affiliation adding that Orijugo, as an administrator of the institution, knew the claim was false.

Penpushing also reports that the judge consequently convicted Orijugo on both counts and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment.

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