A 41-year-old woman, Adenike Salami, was brought before the Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court in Lagos State on Monday, charged with forging an airline ticket and fraudulently obtaining $2,500.
The accused, named Salami, was charged with three counts of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery, and the charges were brought before her by the police; the case was presided over by Magistrate Waliu Salami.
The prosecutor, while speaking, told the court that the accused, with others who are still running from the police, had planned together to commit the offences listed.
The prosecutor noted that they planned together to forge an airline ticket, which they used as a deception to defraud the victim.
Explaining how the incident, the prosecution counsel noted that the incident took place on June 27, 2024, around 7:20 PM at No. 26, Olomowewe Street, Mushin, Lagos.
The defendant was accused of obtaining $2,500, equivalent to approximately N4.5 m, under false pretences.
The court was told that Salami allegedly processed a fake Taag-Linhas Airline ticket without the company’s go-ahead, knowing that the document was forged.
The prosecution noted that the defendant went on to use the tickets to receive a huge sum of money from one Catherine Mbaku through deception, whose intention was to purchase an airline ticket to Bolivia.
According to the charges, the offences committed by Salami are against Sections 406 and 411 and are punishable under Sections 370(1)(2) and 314(1)(a)(b)(2)(3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant, Salami, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought before her in the case.
She was granted bail by the magistrate in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.
According to the magistrate, the sureties must provide evidence of livelihood, proof of tax payment to the Lagos State Government, and verify their addresses.
The case was then adjoined to September 20, 2024, for further hearing.
