By Onozure Dania
Lagos—A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Pastor Kola Shotayo, who is facing trial over alleged forgery of the signatures of the administrators of the estate of the late Chief Emmanuel Ashamu of Lagos, has told an Ogba magistrate’s court, Lagos, how the defendant forged the signatures.

The witness, Mrs Fausat Bamgbose, who was testifying before Magistrate A. Gbajumo under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. M. A. Opawoye, narrated how she noticed that the deed of assignment was not from her office.

She said: “Immediately I saw the document, I knew they were not mine. I have a standard format for my agreements and a specialised legal paper that I use.

“We have always suspected that my signature and those of my clients could have been forged, and that is why we have continued to put out newspaper advertisements to warn unsuspecting prospective buyers of land in Oke-Alo and Anthony Village.”

Shotayo, 65, is the acclaimed representative of the Anthonio Delfino de Maranda family of Lagos, which is in a legal battle with the Ashamu estate over ownership of large parcels of land in Anthony Village and Oke-Alo in Gbagada area of Lagos.

He was arraigned by the police last December 16 on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit forgery and making of a false document.

The defendant was accused of forging the signatures of Mrs. Jadesola Lokulo-Sodipe (nee Ashamu) and her sister Titiloye Ashamu (the administrators of the Ashamu estate and manipulating a deed of assignment purportedly prepared by the law firm of Bolanle Bamgbose & Associates.

According to the prosecutor, Mr. Michael Unah, the offences com-mitted were punishable under Sections 411(4) and 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.