A High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Thursday sentenced two men — a 63-year-old cleric, Adereti Ebenezer, and 68-year-old chief, Akinyede Joseph, to three years imprisonment each for forgery.
They were arraigned before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye on October 18, 2021, on four counts charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, false sworn declarations and making documents without authority.
According to the charge, Joseph and Ebenezer on January 10, 2016, at Ilado Street, Iwore, Ifaki Ekiti, did conspire to forge the minute of meeting of the registered trustees of the United Church of Cherubim and Seraphim Organisation (UCCS).
They were also accused of making false declarations that they were appointed as members of the registered trustees of the church and as well made an amended constitution of the registered trustees of the church without lawful authority.
According to the prosecutor, Gbemiga Adaramola, the offences contravened sections 516, 467, 191 and 473 of the Criminal Code Cap. C16, Vol.1, Laws of Ekiti State, Nigeria, 2012.
One of the trustees, Faseyi Albert, in his statement to the police said: “I was appointed alongside others as the board of trustees of the church in 2001.
“The appointment was sent to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for ratification.
“After the demise of Primate and Archbishop of the Church, Most Rev. S.A. Fadeyi, the bishop in-council consequently ratified the appointment of Rt. Rev. Tunde Ogunseemi as the new primate/archbishop of the organisation in 2015.
“During the manual search conducted by CAC, it was discovered that Rt. Rev. Adereti Ebenezer who was archbishop 3 of the church and Chief Akinyede Joseph manipulated some documents which indicated that the trustees had a meeting and a decision was taken to remove Most Rev. Tunde Ogunseemi’s name; the minute of same meeting was forged, among others, and presented to CAC.
“I was also alleged to have been presented at the meeting. The matter was later reported to the police for investigation and action,” he said.
In his judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment each on counts one, two and four (conspiracy, forgery and making document without authority) with an option of N20,000 fine, for each of the counts. The sentences are to run concurrently.”