EFCC arrests Uche Ogah after police withdrawal of forgery case

Commission was misinformed, says his lawyer The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in Lagos yesterday arrested the Chairman of Masters energy Uche Ogah over alleged forgery of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), at the premises of the Lagos Magistrate Court, Tinubu square.

The arrest was made shortly after the police withdrew its charges of forgery against him. When the case was called, the police prosecutor, Henry Obiazi informed the Court that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had instructed him to withdraw the case against Ogah, following which the case was struck out.

Operatives of the EFCC swiftly rearrested Ogah, who was in June this year, declared winner of the last gubernatorial election in Abia State by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja, as soon as he stepped out of the courtroom and was driven away in their waiting van.

Ogah was alleged to have sometime in August, 2011, forged the signature of one Mrs. Bridget Adeosun and an MoU between Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited and Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, with intent that it may be in any way used or acted upon as genuine.

However, in a statement made available to The Guardian, his lawyer Monday Ubani said his client was released unconditionnally few hours after making his statement at the EFCC Lagos office.

Ubani said that the commission was influenced into carrying out the “embarrassing invitation” of his client based on false information by the petitioner.

According to Ubani, the complainant in the forgery charge against his client, one Mrs. Bridget Adeosun had forwarded the same petition which she sent to the police to the EFCC and misinformed the commission on a lot of issues.

“ The invitation of my client, Uche Ogah by officials of the EFCC this morning at the premises of Tinubu Magistrate, Lagos to say the least is the most shocking turn of event in an over five months trial over a trumped up charge.
“In vindication of my clients innocence, the police prosecution this morning informed the court of his intention to discontinue the forgery charge against my client.