Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, will defend the LEADERSHIP newspaper journalists against the charge of forgery brought against them this week by the police.
Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, will defend the LEADERSHIP newspaper journalists against the charge of forgery brought against them this week by the police.
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Tony Amokoedo and Chibuizor Ukaibe, two of the four newspapers from the LEADERSHIP stable who were first arrested last week, were today arraigned before a federal judge on 10 counts of forgery. They are to be prosecuted for allegedly forging the document which formed the basis of the newspaper’s front page story of April 3 about a presidential directive to muzzle opposition.
Mr. Falana said the charges are aimed only at muzzling the independence of journalists. He vowed to defend the journalists until the charges are dropped.
The 10-count charge against LEADERSHIP
Count 1: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: forging of document titled BROMIDE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE and place same on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, knowing it to be false and with the intent that it may in any way be used or acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 2: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did forged a document titled BROMIDE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE and place same on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, knowing it to be false and with the intent that it may in any way be used or acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 467 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 3: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: knowingly and fraudulently uttering a false document titled BROMIDE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE and place same on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, for the use/consumption of the general public and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 4: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did knowingly and fraudulently utter a false document titled BROMIDE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE and place same on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, for the use/consumption of the general public and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 468 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 5: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: forging/making a false document and placed same on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, having on it the seal, signet or sign manual which purports that it is from the president of the federal republic of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 6: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did forge/make a false document and placed same on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, having on it the seal, signet or sign manual which purports that it is from the president of the federal republic of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 467 (1)(b) of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 7: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: making a false document on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, having on it the seal, signet or sign manual which said forged document purports to be the signature of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria as presidential directive and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 8: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did make a false document on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013, having on it the seal, signet or sign manual which said forged document purports to be the signature of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria as presidential directive and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 467(3)(a) of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 9: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: knowingly and fraudulently forge a document titled bromide of the presidential directive on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
Count 10: "That you Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division did knowingly and fraudulently forge a document titled bromide of the presidential directive on the front of LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER of 3rd day of April, 2013 purporting to be the seal of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria as presidential directive and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 468 of the criminal code Act Cap 'C" 38 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004".
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