A couple, Adeboye Adeyemo, 65, and his wife, Bolanle, 50, were on Thursday arraigned before a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, for allegedly forging their marriage certificate.

They pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession and forgery levelled against them.

The prosecutor, Inspector Ayodele Ayeni, told the court that the couple committed the crime on March 20, at about 9.00 a.m., at Mapo, Ibadan.

Mr Ayeni alleged that Adeyemo forged the marriage certificate on September 12, 2006.

He further said that the first defendant tendered the allegedly forged certificate before the court as an evidence in a divorce suit he filed against Bolanle.

Bolanle, however, opposed the admissibility of the exhibit.

According to the prosecutor, Bolanle said that no marriage certificate was issued to them before they started living together as husband and wife.

He said that investigation conducted showed that the Ibadan North Local Government Registry, which was inscribed on the said certificate, denied issuing any marriage certificate to Adeyemo and that the one in his possession was fake.

Mr Ayeni said that the offences contravened the provision of sections 516, 465 and 430 of the criminal code cap 38 vol. ii law of Oyo State 2000.

The President of the court, S.M. Akintayo, admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two reliable sureties, who must be civil servants on grade level 12.

Ms Akintayo also ordered that the sureties must present the pay slips of their last salary and evidence of possessing the National Identification Number.

She, thereafter, adjourned the matter to June 8 for hearing.

(NAN)