Section 480-489 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Section 480, 481, 482, 483, 484, 485, 486, 487, 488, 489 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act is under Chapter 45 (Preparation for forgery) and Chapter 46 (Personation) of the Code.
CHAPTER 45 – Preparation for forgery
Chapter 480 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Instruments and materials for forgery
Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse, the proof of which lies on him
[L.N. 112 of 1964.]
(1) makes, or begins or prepares to make, or uses, or knowingly has in his possession or disposes of,
any paper resembling any paper such as is specially provided by the proper authority for the
purpose of being used for making any of the following things‐
(a) any document acknowledging or being evidence of the indebtedness of the Government of
Nigeria or of any part of Nigeria or of the government of any Commonwealth country or any
country under the protection of a Commonwealth country, or of any foreign prince or State, or
of any person carrying on the business of banking, to any person; or
(b) any stamp, licence, permit, or other document, used for the purposes of the public revenue of
Nigeria or of any part of Nigeria or of any part of a Commonwealth country or any country under
the protection of a Commonwealth country; or
(c) any bank note,
or any machinery or instrument or material for making such paper, or capable of producing in or
on paper any words, figures, letters, marks, or lines, resembling any words, figures, letters,
marks or lines used in or on paper specially provided for any such purpose; or
(2) impresses or makes upon any plate or material any words, figures, letters, marks, or lines, the
print whereof resembles, in whole or part, the words, figures, letters, marks, or lines used in any
such document as aforesaid; or
(3) uses or knowingly has in his possession or disposes of, any plate or material upon which any
such words, figures, letters, marks or lines, are impressed or made; or
(4) uses, or knowingly has in his possession or disposes of, any paper on which is written or
printed the whole or any part of the usual contents of any such documents as aforesaid,
is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years, and any such paper, document,
bank note, or any machinery or instrument or material for making or capable of producing such paper,
document or bank note which are found in his possession shall be forfeited to the State by order of the
court before which he is tried or if there is no trial, by order of the court before which the offence is
inquired into.
Chapter 480A of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Unlawful inquires relating to the possibility of forgery
(1) Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse, the proof of which lies on him, either orally or
in writing makes inquiries of any other person, whether in Nigeria or at any place not in Nigeria‐
(a) as to the cost of obtaining or the cost of supplying or as to obtaining or supplying any
machinery or instrument or material for the making of any paper or capable of producing in or
on any paper any words, figures, letters, marks or lines resembling any words, figures, letters,
marks or lines used in or on paper specially provided for any purpose mentioned in paragraph
(1) of section 480 of this Code; or
(b) as to the cost of printing or otherwise reproducing or as to printing or otherwise reproducing
any document referred to in subsection (1) of section 480 of this Code; no matter by what name
such document may be referred to; or
(c) as to whether such other person or any other person is prepared to print or otherwise
reproduce or would be prepared to print or otherwise reproduce any such document as
aforesaid; or
(d) as to whether such other person or any other person is prepared to obtain or would be
prepared to obtain any such document as aforesaid by any means other than paying full value
for the same,
is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for one year.
(2) In the case of written inquiries in connection with any of the matters or subjects to which subsection
(1) of this section relates, the fact that such inquiries were reduced into writing shall be sufficient proof
of an attempt to commit the offence and the offender shall be subject to a like penalty as if he had
committed the offence.
Chapter 481 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Counterfeit stamps
Any person who, without authority or excuse, the proof of which lies on him
[L.N. 112 of 1964 ]
(1) makes or mends, or begins or prepares to make or mend, or uses, or knowingly
has in his possession or disposes of, any die, plate, or instrument, capable of making an
impression resembling that made by any die, plate or instrument used for the purpose
of making any stamp, whether impressed or adhesive, which is used for the purposes of
the public revenue of the Nigerian Postal Service in Nigeria or in any other country, or
capable of producing in or on paper any words, figures, letters, marks, or lines,
resembling any words, figures, letters, marks, or lines used in or on any paper specially
provided by the proper authority for any such purpose; or
(2) knowingly has in his possession or disposes of any paper or other material which has on
it the impression of any such die, plate, or instrument, or any paper which has on it any
such words, figures, letters, marks, or lines, as aforesaid; or
(3) fraudulently, and with intent that use may be made of any such stamp as aforesaid, or
of any part of it, removes the stamp from any material in any way whatever; or
(4) fraudulently, and with intent that use may be made of any part of such stamp, mutilates
the stamp; or
(5) fraudulently fixes or places upon any material or upon any such stamp, any stamp or
part of a stamp which has been in any way removed from any other material, or out of or
from any other stamp; or
(6) fraudulently, and with intent that use may be made of any such stamp which has been already
impressed upon or attached to any material, erases or otherwise removes, either really or apparently,
from such material anything whatever written on it; or
(7) knowingly has in his possession or disposes of anything obtained or prepared by any such unlawful
act as aforesaid,
is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.
Chapter 482 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Paper for postal purposes
Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse, the proof of which lies on him, knowingly has in his
possession or disposes of any paper which has been specially provided by the proper authority for the
purpose of being used for postage stamps, money orders, or postal orders, before such paper has been
lawfully issued for public use, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for two years.
Chapter 483 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Paper and dies for postage stamps
Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse, the proof of which lies on him‐
(1) makes, or begins or prepares to make, or uses for any postal purpose, or has in his
possession, or disposes of any imitation or representation on paper or any other material, of any stamp
used for denoting any rate of postage of Nigeria, or of any other country; or
(2) makes or mends, or begins or prepares to make or mend, or uses, or has in his possession or
disposes of, any die, plate, instrument, or material, for making any such imitation or representation,
is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for one year or to a fine of one hundred naira
and any stamps, and any other such things as aforesaid, which are found in his possession, are forfeited
to the State.
For the purposes of this section of this Code, a stamp purporting to denote a rate of postage of any
country is to be taken to be a stamp used for postal purposes in that country, until the contrary is
shown.
CHAPTER 46 – Impersonation
Chapter 484 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Impersonation in general
Any person who, with intent to defraud any person, falsely represents himself to be some other person,
living or dead, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.
If the representation is that the offender is a person entitled by will or operation of law to any specific
property and he commits the offence to obtain such property or possession thereof, he is liable to
imprisonment for fourteen years.
Chapter 485 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Falsely acknowledging deeds, recognisances, etc.
Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse, the proof of which lies on him, makes, in the name
of any other person, before any court or person lawfully authorised to take such an acknowledgment, an
acknowledgment of liability of any kind, or an acknowledgment of deed or other instrument, is guilty of
a felony and liable to imprisonment for seven years.
Chapter 486 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Impersonation of a person named in a certificate
Any person who alters any document which has been issued by lawful authority to another person, and
whereby that other person is certified to be a person possessed of any qualification recognised by law
for any purpose, or to be the holder of any office, or to be entitled to exercise any profession, trade, or
business, or to be entitled to any right or privilege, or to enjoy any rank or status, and falsely represents
himself to be the person named in the document, is guilty of an offence of the same kind and is liable to
the same punishment as if he had forged the document.
Chapter 487 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Lending, etc., certificate for impersonation
Any person who, being a person to whom any document has been issued by lawful authority whereby
he is certified to be a person possessed of any qualification recognised by law for any
purpose, or to be the holder of any office, or to be entitled to exercise any profession, trade, or
business, or to be entitled to any right or privilege, or to enjoy any rank or status, sells, gives or lends the
document to another person with intent that that other person may represent himself to be the person
named therein, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.
The offender cannot be arrested without warrant.
Chapter 488 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Impersonation of person named in a testimonial or character
Any person who, with the purpose of obtaining any employment, alters any document of the nature of a
testimonial or character given to another person, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to
imprisonment for one year.
Chapter 489 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Lending, etc., testimonial for impersonation
Any person who, being a person to whom any such document as is mentioned in section 488 of this
Code has been given, gives, sells or lends such document to another person with the intent that that
other person may alter such document for the purpose of obtaining any employment, is guilty of a
misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for three years.
Credit: https://lawsofnigeria.placng.org/laws/C38.pdf
