A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Apo, has granted bail to lawyer Mrs. Bukola Ibitade, who, alongside her principal, Barrister Victor Giwa, faced allegations of forging the letterhead of renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Awa Kalu.
The allegations, brought by the police under Charge No. CR/150/25, claimed that Giwa and Ibitade forged the official letterhead of “Awa U. Kalu (SAN) and Partners” to communicate with the Attorney-General of the Federation.
However, Chief Awa Kalu, in a letter dated May 30, 2025, to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, denied ever filing a complaint or reporting any forgery. The SAN stated that his letterhead had never been forged and that he had not authorized any legal action against Giwa or Ibitade.
“I wish to inform you that the internet is agog with news that a charge is preferred against the above-named gentleman, indicating that he forged my official headed paper. Please note that I have neither filed a complaint nor have I incidented a report at any Police Station in Nigeria indicating that Mr. Victor Giwa forged my official headed paper,” Kalu wrote.
During the bail hearing, Ibitade’s counsel, Ogbu Aboje, urged the court to grant liberal bail, noting that as a lawyer, the defendant was unlikely to abscond. “We are seeking an order of the court to admit the second defendant to bail on very liberal conditions,” he argued, asking the court to dismiss the prosecution’s counter-affidavit.
The prosecution, led by Mr. Eristo Asaph, opposed the motion, submitting that the application should be refused.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie ruled in favor of Ibitade, granting her bail in the sum of N30 million with two sureties who must be Level 16 civil servants. The court stipulated that the sureties must have valid identification and be able to produce the defendant at every court sitting.
The clarification by Prof. Kalu significantly weakens the foundation of the forgery allegation, which was based on the alleged unauthorized use of his firm’s name and letterhead.
Separately, Victor Giwa had, in a letter to the IGP dated May 23, 2025, requested an investigation into alleged financial inducements behind the charges filed against him. He specifically called on the IGP to probe the involvement of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Legal Services, Chiozoba Oyakhire Ehiede, AIG Aina Emmanuel, and Ms. Asabe Waziri of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in the purportedly frivolous case.
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