Police arrest five over forgery of COVID-19 certificate at Lagos airport

Officers of Nigeria Police Force, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State have arrested five COVID-19 certificate forgery suspects.

Suspect are Moses Samuel, Achibong Idonrenyin, Popoola Adewala, Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Wale Aderele. Two of the suspects, Shehu Imam and Adeola Darlington are at large.

According to Bature Umar, the Police Commissioner, Airports Command, disclosed that the suspects sold fake COVID-19 negative certificates to travellers within the international wing of the airport.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Umar said the suspects were exposed on February 19 when they defrauded a British Airways passenger, Michael Osagbogun of N50, 000 for a COVID-19 test.

The Police Commissioner said one of the suspects took the victim to a cybercafé in Ikeja where a fake COVID-19 negative certificate was issued but the passenger, who was travelling to Britain, was eventually denied boarding by the officials of the airline, who spotted the fake certificate.

The passenger reported the case and a combined team of Criminal Investigation Department and Aviation Security arrested the suspects.

“Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and the sum of N50, 000, which they obtained from the victim was recovered from them, while the computer used for the crime has been impounded and will be used as an exhibit in the court of law,” Umar added.