House of Reps member charged for forgery

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ossai N. Ossai, representing Ndokwa/Ukwani Constituency of Delta State, has been charged for alleged forgery.
Ossia was alleged to have forged the Independent National Electoral Commission result sheet he tendered at the Election Petition Tribunal upon which he got his electoral verdict.
The charge was sequel to a petition by Hon. Olisa Imegwu, a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and a candidate in the last House of Representatives election in the same constituency.
Imegwu initially won the election at the polls.
But Ossai lodged a petition at the Election Tribunal and subsequently got a verdict upturning the former speaker’s election.
The verdict was later affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
Imegwu on his part also filed a petition against Ossai and after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the latter had a case to answer.
“After a thorough investigation of the election result sheets by both the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it was revealed beyond doubt that the election result sheets tendered by Hon. Ossai N. Ossai at the election petition proceedings were indeed forged,” counsel to Imegwu, Festus Keyamo, said.
The four-count charge against Ossai reads:
“Contrary to section 467(1) (b) of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation, 2004, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai ‘m’ on or about the 1ih day of October, 2012 at Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did unlawfully forged and tendered in the Election Petition Tribunal a result sheet purporting same to have emanated from Independent National Electoral Commission, Asaba.
“Contrary to section 468 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation, 2004, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai ‘m’ on or about the 12thday of October, 2012 at Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly and fraudulently uttered an electoral document relating to Ndokwa East Local Government Area for Ward 9, Unit 14.
“Procuring execution of documents by false pretence contrary to section 471 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation 2004, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai ‘m’ on or about the 1ih day of October, 2012 at Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, falsely and fraudulently represented as genuine the uttered result of Ward 9, Unit 14 of Ndokwa East Local Government Area.
“Contrary to Section 473 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation, 2004, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai ‘m’ on or about the 12thday of October, 2012 at Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did unlawfully uttered electoral documents.”
The case has now been assigned to Justice O. Okolosi of High Court 3, Asaba, Delta State.