Court Adjourns Arraignment of Five Retired Police Chiefs Accused of Forgery and Age Manipulation
Federal Government files charges against five retired senior police officers over alleged age forgery scheme.
Arraignment was delayed again as judge ruled personal service mandatory and adjourned till November 17.
The Federal Government has initiated legal action against five retired senior police officers over alleged falsification of age records and document forgery. However, their scheduled arraignment before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama was again delayed on Thursday, marking the third such adjournment due to their continued absence.
The former officers named in the 14-count charge (CR/353/2025), filed by the Inspector General of Police, are: retired Assistant Inspector General Idowu Owohunwa; retired Commissioners of Police Benneth Igweh and Ukachi Peter Opara; retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Obo Ukam Obo; and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Simon A. Lough (SAN).
According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly conspired to manipulate their official ages to remain in service beyond the statutory retirement limit. They also face accusations of forgery, presenting fraudulent information, and using falsified documents in official records and legal proceedings, contrary to the Penal Code and Public Service Rules.
At Thursday’s hearing, prosecuting counsel ACP Rimamsomte Ezekiel informed the court that attempts to serve the defendants at their known addresses had failed because they had moved. He said even efforts to send the documents through digital means did not succeed, and asked the court to issue arrest warrants to compel their appearance.
Defence lawyer Terkaa Aondo (SAN) objected to the application, arguing that criminal charges must be personally served and that the prosecution had the capacity to find and produce the defendants in court. He compared the situation to previous high-profile arrests carried out by security agencies within and outside Nigeria, saying the same level of effort should be applied in this case.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Yusuf Halilu held that personal service is a legal requirement in criminal cases and described the prosecution’s request for arrest warrants as premature. He reminded the police that, since the defendants were previously granted bail on self-recognisance, it remained their duty to ensure the accused persons appear in court.
The judge adjourned the case until November 17 for arraignment and instructed both parties to secure the defendants’ attendance at the next sitting.
