A 26-year-old man, Daniel Makanjuola, has been arrested by police officials attached to the Lion Building Police Station after it was discovered that he forged a West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result as well as Lagos State University (LASU) statement of result to secure employment at the Marina Branch of Wema Bank Plc.
Prior to his arrest, Makanjuola, an indigene of Ijero Local Government Area in Ekiti State,had paraded himself as a graduate of Marketing with a Second Class, Upper Division result when he got the bank in 2013.
According to Punch, the suspect was also said to have tendered a forged National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate and a reference letter to the bank. He claimed to have obtained the letter from United Bank for Africa, his purported former workplace.
His fraudulent act was discovered after the management sent a letter to the UBA to verify the genuineness of the reference letter. The UBA was said to have denied knowledge of Makanjuola and the letter.
Following the discovery, the bank to write West African Examinations Council and LASU, which also disclaimed the results before the suspect was sacked in July 2015.
Confessing the crime, the suspect said: “I am actually a National Diploma holder. I secured the fake WASCE and LASU results, using a search engine and CorelDraw application. I scanned an NYSC certificate and used some applications to edit it. I did it in order to put an end to the suffering of my poor family. I am the only son of my father. I want the authority to be compassionate with my case. I was only trying to live a better life.”
A police prosecutor, Inspector I. Okeke, arraigned Makanjuola at a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on three counts of forgery.
The charges read in part, “That you, Daniel Makanjuola sometime in September 2013, at Wema Bank, Marina, Lagos Island, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did forge West Africa Senior School Certificate, dated December, 2005 with candidate number, 5250209357 and certificate number, ASSCP 3841537.
“That you forged notification of final year examination result 2008/2009 academic session from LASU with reference number, LASU/E&R/405, dated March 11, 2010 and use it to secure employment at Wema Bank Plc.”
He pleaded not guilty to the charges before the presiding magistrate, Mr. A. Adefulire who consequently admitted him to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Adefulire adjourned the case for further mention until Wednesday, October 22, 2015.
