committed, commits forgery, and a false document made wholly or in part by forgery is called a forged document." "366. Whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document which he knows or has reason to believe to be a forged document shall be punished in the same manner as if he had forged such document." By s. 364 thereof, whoever commits forgery shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years or with fine or both. The term "make" a false document includes uttering a genuine document or writing in any material part, either by erasure, obliteration, removal, or otherwise; and making any material addition to the body of a genuine document or writing, and adding to a genuine document or writing any false date, attestation, seal or other material matter. See ODUAH v. F.R.N. (2012) LPELR-9220(CA). The object of forgery is to cheat others by wrongful acts of make-belief and projecting as genuine a document the accused knows or ought to know is not genuine, and it is often calculated to deceive in order to obtain unmerited and unconscionable favours and benefits to the detriment of the person to whom the document may be presented. It has been held that in order for the offence of forgery to be established, the prosecution must prove the following essential ingredients beyond reasonable doubt that: (i) there was a document or writing; (ii) the document or writing was forged; (iii) the forgery was by the accused person; (iv) the accused person knew that the document or writing is false; and (v) the accused intended the forged document to be acted upon to the prejudice or detriment of the victims in the belief that it was genuine. See BABALOLA & ORS. V. THE STATE [1989] 4 NWLR (PT. 115) 264 at 277 (per Nnemeka-Agu, JSC; SMART v. THE STATE (1974) 11 SC 173; AWOBOTU v. THE STATE (1976) 5 SC 49; MICHAEL ALAKE 23 | P a g e