A Magistrate Court in Umuahia, Abia State Capital has convicted the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uche Ogah, for forgery.
Ogah is the factional governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State for the 2023 general election.
Delivering judgement in suit No. UMSC/362/2022, the court ordered his arrest and committal to prison.
The APC had brought a criminal complaint against Ogah that he did not participate in the governorship primary election of the party held on May 26, 2022, but went ahead and forged the party’s direct primary election result sheet “with intent that it may be acted on as genuine”.
According to the complainant, the forgery perpetrated by Ogah was prejudicial to the party and its authentic governorship candidate in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, “thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 465 of the Criminal Code (as applicable in Abia) and punishable under Section 467.”
However, the trial Magistrate Ngozi N. Nwangwa in her judgement held that the defendant/respondent “is guilty as charged”, adding, “I am convinced that the defendant has no defence.
“I, hereby, commit Dr Uche Ogah for the offence as charged.”
The court ordered security agencies to arrest him anywhere he is found and keep him in the nearest correctional centre pending the day he would be brought to court for sentencing.
Ogah had consistently been absent in the court, Vanguard reports.
In a written affidavit, the State Secretary, Chief Chidi Avaja, PW1 had tendered six exhibits on allegation of forgery numbered “A – F” against Dr. Ogah and which the party’s counsel, Mr Vigilus Nwankwo described as documents that are “unchallenged and incontrovertible evidence” by the respondents.
