A Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan has sentenced 50-year-old Bolanle Adeyemo to one year of imprisonment for the forgery and possession of a falsified marriage certificate. Presiding judge Mrs. S.M. Akintayo delivered the ruling after the defendant entered a guilty plea, leading to a concurrent one-year sentence for two counts of the offense, with the option of one month of community service. The court dropped the initial conspiracy charge against her.
The legal proceedings began when the defendant’s husband, 55-year-old Adeboye Adeyemo, initiated a divorce suit on March 26. In an attempt to prevent the dissolution of their union, Bolanle Adeyemo submitted a document claiming it was a valid marriage certificate. Her husband disputed the authenticity of the paperwork, leading the court to order a police inquiry into the matter.
Inspector Ayodele Ayeni informed the court that the investigation confirmed the Ibadan North Local Government registry never issued the document. Evidence showed the certificate was fraudulent, violating sections 516, 465, and 430 of the Oyo State Criminal Code. Consequently, the court found the defendant guilty of presenting fake evidence during the divorce case.
