LAGOS: Five Covid certificate forgers arrested at airport, two still ‘at large’

AT least five persons who are into the business of selling fake Covid negative certificates to travellers have been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

According to the men of the Nigeria Police Force, who arrested the Covid certificate forgery suspects, two of the suspects are still at large.

They are Moses Samuel, Achibong Idonrenyin, Popoola Adewala, Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Wale Aderele.

The  two others who are at larger are: Shehu Imam and Adeola Dalington.

According to the Police Commissioner, Airports Command, Bature Umar, the suspects sold fake Covid negative certificates to travellers within the international wing of the airport.

Explaining what led to their arrest during a press conference yesterday, Umar said the suspects were exposed on February 19 when they defrauded a British Airways passenger, Michael Osagbogun, of N50, 000 for a Covid test.

The police commissioner said one of the suspects took the victim to a cyber café in Ikeja where a fake Covid negative certificate was issued but the passenger, who was on his way 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 exhibit in the court of law,” the police boss said.

Umar further said that the suspects would be arraigned in court of tomorrow.