Nigerian jailed for forgery

Accra Dec. 20, GNA - A 30 year old Nigerian businessman who forged documents to secure two Ghanaian passports was on Wednesday sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court. Abafor Ikenne pleaded guilty to forgery of official documents and possessing forged document and was convicted accordingly.

The Court further ordered the destruction of the two Ghanaian passports and asked the Police to check on the Nigerian Passport of the accused at the Ghana Immigration Service and furnish it with its findings. It further ordered that the accused be deported after serving his sentence.

Prosecuting Chief Inspector Bennett Sarfo told the Court that Abafor in May 2003 stayed in China.

Sometime in August this year, he returned to Nigeria and decided to acquire a Ghanaian passport to enable him extend his resident permit in China because Nigerian passports were not considered.

Abafor, therefore, contacted one Williams in Accra, who assisted him to procure Ghanaian passport numbers H194472 and H1953228.

The Prosecution said on November 27, 2006 at about 1030 hours, personnel from the Bureau of National Investigations acting on a tip-off swooped on him at the Crown Prince Hotel, Adabraka and the two fake Ghanaian passports and a Nigerian passport number A1822962 bearing his name were found on him.

One of the two Ghanaian passports bore the name of Emmanuel Armah with Abafor's picture in it. 20 Dec. 06