13th October, 2010
The Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police in its continued crusade against fraudsters has smashed a five-member syndicate which specialises in forging and circulating documents belonging to Lagos State government agencies.
Members of the syndicate, investigations revealed further, usually pose as officials of the state government and forge stamps, including the seal of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation to defraud members of the public.
The suspects were arrested following petitions by victims to the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit, Milverton Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.
P.M.NEWS gathered that detectives from the unit traced the criminals to their hideouts in Oshodi and arrested five of them.
Those arrested include Oladimeji Ogunsanya, Olusegun and Aminat Adedokun (husband and wife), Mosunmola Adisa and Samson Balogun.
During a search of their hideouts located at 12 and 29, Majekodunmi Street, Shogunle, Lagos, the following items were recovered from them, a seal of the Lagos State government, various stamps belonging to the Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Glass House, Licensing Office, Alausa; Federal Ministry of Works permit, certificates of vehicle road worthiness, vehicle insurance certificates, vehicle particulars, laptop and printers with which they design and print the forged documents.
The suspects, it was learnt, confessed to the crime during interrogation and admitted using the stamps and documents to sell documents to unsuspecting members of the public.
The leader of the gang, Oladimeji James Ogunsanyo, also reportedly confessed that the syndicate had been in the illegal business for over four years.
The suspects are currently being detained at the Special Fraud Unit Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos.
—Paul Iyoghojie