The Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State, on Thursday, arraigned Mr. Collins Afuwah and Mr. Nwafor Oyi, both residents of Agidiase Quarters, Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, Delta State, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and forgery.
The defendants, who were present in court, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
The case arose from the alleged forgery of official medical documents purportedly issued by the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), which were used to secure the release of Mr. Afuwah from custody at the Federal Correctional Centre in Ogwashi-Uku.
At the time of his release, Mr. Afuwah was standing trial for serious offenses, including attempted murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit murder.
According to the prosecution, the forged documents falsely claimed that Mr. Afuwah was critically ill and could not receive adequate treatment while in custody. Suspecting irregularities, the Delta State Ministry of Justice forwarded the documents to UBTH for verification. In a letter dated January 16, 2023, the Chief Medical Director of UBTH categorically stated that the documents did not emanate from the hospital.
Furthermore, the named signatory, one Dr. Unuigbe Orobosa, identified as a consultant cardiologist in the forged documents, was confirmed not to be a staff member of UBTH.
The hospital further asserted that there was no record of Mr. Afuwah as a patient, nor had he presented himself for any medical attention at the facility.
Following this revelation, the Inspector-General of Police directed the Force Intelligence Department to carry out a full investigation into the matter.
The investigation culminated in the filing of criminal charges under Charge No. FHC/B/140C/2024: Inspector-General of Police v. (1) Collins Afuwah (2) Nwafor Oyi.
At Thursday’s proceedings, the trial judge ordered that the defendants be remanded in custody at the correctional facility pending the commencement of trial. The matter has been adjourned to April 3, 2025.
Although bail was granted to the defendants, it was set at N10 million each, with two sureties per defendant. The sureties must possess verifiable landed property within Benin City.
The court emphasized that all details concerning the sureties — including their residential addresses, bank information, and proof of property ownership — must be thoroughly verified by the court registrar, given the cross-jurisdictional nature of the case involving both Delta and Edo States.
As of the time of this report, the defendants have been unable to meet their bail conditions and have been returned to custody.
