Beninese industrialist charged with faking a Nigerian passport

For an alleged impersonation and disobedience to a court order, a 57-year-old Beninese, Abduo Rachidatuo, was on Thursday charged before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

Rachidatuo, a businesswoman, is standing trial on a three-count charge of breach of peace, contempt of court and impersonation.

She however pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge and was granted N500, 000 bail by the magistrate, Mrs. O. O. Oshin, with two sureties in like sum.

The magistrate said that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not less than grade level 14 and the other surety must show evidence of six months tax payment to the Lagos state government.

The prosecutor, Inspector Steven Molo, told the court that the accused committed the alleged offences between July 2015 and June 21, 2017 at Abule-Egba area of Lagos.

He said that the accused falsely presented herself to be a Nigeria citizen by birth, specifically from Lagos state.

“The accused through, an ECOWAS electronic Passport No. 06820812, presented herself to be Abudu Rachidatu, a Nigerian by birth, instead of Abduo Rachidatuo, a Benin national.

“However, a Republic of Benin Passport no. B0483183 which was issued to the accused on September 2, 2015, at Porto Novo, indicates that she is from Benin Republic and not Nigeria,” Molo said.

The prosecutor also said that the accused disobeyed two Federal High Court of Lagos orders issued by Justice M. N. Yunusa and Justice M. B. Idris.

Molo said that the two court orders were issued on September 9, 2015, with order No. FHC/L/CS/715/2015, and June 13, 2017 with order No. FHC/L/CS/883/2017, respectively.

The prosecutor told the court that the order had prohibited the accused from ejecting an employee of Rana Prestige Industries, Mr. Modest Senon, from the premises of the above company.

He said that the accused disobeyed the court order and ejected the said Mr. Senon without lawful excuse.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 114, 123 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Magistrate Oshin adjourned the case till July 26 for mention