A middle-aged man, named Fakorede Johnson was on Tuesday arrested by security operatives for forging the letterhead and signature of the office of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa.
The arrested impostor was picked up at the Local Government Service Commission and taken to the office of the Head of Service, while he was trying to secure office accommodation to back up his fake appointment.
A statement by the CPS stated that Fakorede had earlier approached the Commission with a letter purportedly signed by him (CPS), which he claimed appointed him (Fakorede) as the Acting Coordinating Secretary (Local Government Service).
In the forged letter, Fakorede claimed that his appointment was pursuant to section 42(2&3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. He had on Monday presented the forged letter to the Service Commission and demanded to be allocated an office and an official car.
The staff of the Commission had, however, told him to report on Tuesday when the office would have been put together.
But, checks by the Staff of the Commission at the Office of the Head of Service and the Chief Press Secretary confirmed the letter was forged. Officials then set a dragnet for the impostor, leading to his arrest on Tuesday.
Following his arrest, Fakorede claimed he committed the crime in order to survive and that he was ignorant of the implications.
When asked how he came about the letter, Fakorede said he forged the letter when he heard the name of the CPS on radio, adding that he had always longed to get a political appointment.
Fakorede said during interrogation: “I am a native of Oyo town but I live in Lagos. I listened to the news and heard of the name of the Press Secretary on Radio. I like political appointment that is why I designed the appointment in the form of a political appointment.
“I forged the letter by myself, nobody told me to do it. I was pushed to do it by ignorance.”
Fakorede has been handed over to the Police for further investigation and trial.
While addressing journalists in his office, the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa told indigenes of the state to be wary of fraudsters who might want to take advantage of the change in government to commit fraud.