The growing incidences of quackery in legal practice are becoming more rampant in Ogun State, where a fake lawyer was apprehended by the Police in the thick of a court session.
The scene was a civil trial at the Magistrate Court 6, Ifo, where Chief Magistrate I.A. Arogundade was adjudicating over cases called for hearing on Friday October 2, 2020.
The fake lawyer, Tajudeen Olufemi Idris, was defending a civil trial between one Ifeanyi Chuckwu Vs Ayo Itori, when suddenly his comportment and general temperament became questionable.
Chief Magistrate Arogundade was said to have raised questions about his conduct and representation before the Court and promptly queried his law studentship and year of his Call to Bar.
He had claimed to be a legal counsel from his own legal Chamber, Tajudeen O. Idris & Co.
The culprit responded, claiming to have graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 2009.
But, further enquiry revealed that his name was nowhere to be found amongst those called to bar in 2009, hence, the Police were notified.
Consequently, the Divisional Police Officer, Ifo Division, CSP Adeniyi Adekunle, detailed his operatives to the court premises, where the suspect was apprehended.
The suspect is currently undergoing investigation and he is presently in the custody of the Police.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Ajogun, has expressed concern about increase in the number of people impersonating lawyers, thereby swindling people of their hard-earned money.
The CP recalled that not less than five cases of fake lawyers have been reported since his assumption of office in less than 2 months ago.
On the 12th of August 2020, a 56-year old man, Sylvester Ogbagu, was arrested at Shagamu while parading himself as lawyer.
Another fake lawyer, Adedeji Ebenezer, was arrested in the Court premises at Itori on the 5th of August 2020, while similarly appearing for a client as a lawyer.
The suspect was tried and subsequently sentenced to three years in prison.
Another fake lawyer, Elijah Ayodeji Ojo, was also arrested in Ajuwon Police Station on the 28th of June when he came to solicit for a so-called client, who was having a criminal matter with the police.
Likewise was the case of one Lawrence Oyedunu, who was arrested in Sango Ota while presenting himself as a counsel to a suspect.
The CP, therefore, called on the state branch of NBA to put necessary machinery in motion to checkmate the activities of these fraudulent people.
Ajogun also appealed to those who wish to be lawyers to take a cue from the determined effort of a traditional ruler in the state, who at 75 years of age still endeavored to go to Law School because of his interest in legal profession rather than impersonating.
