The suspect
By James Ogunnaike
Operatives of the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police has arrested a 47-year-old man, Tajudeen Olufemi Idris for allegedly parading himself as a legal practitioner.
A statement by the command spokesperson, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the State capital, informed that the suspect was arrested at Magistrate Court 6, Ifo in Ifo local government area of the state, while appearing before Chief Magistrate I.A Arogundade in a civil trial between one Ifeanyi Chuckwu and Ayo Itori where he claimed to be a legal counsel from Tajudeen O. Idris & Co Chamber representing one of the parties.
The statement added, “his conduct and presentation before the Chief Magistrate arouse suspicious about his qualification as a lawyer and this prompted the Chief Magistrate to ask for the year he was called to the bar, which he claimed to be 2009”.
“But further enquiry revealed that his name is nowhere to be found amongst those called to bar in 2009, hence, police were notified”.
“Consequently, the DPO Ifo Division, CSP Adeniyi Adekunle detailed his operatives to the scene where the suspect was apprehended and he is currently undergoing investigation”.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun expressed concern about increase in the number of people impersonating to be 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 two months.
“On the 12th of August 2020, a 56-year-old, Sylvester Ogbagu was arrested at Shagamu while parading himself as a lawyer, while another fake lawyer, Adedeji Ebenezer was apprehended in the Court premises at Itori on the 5th of August 2020 while appearing for a client as a lawyer, he was tried and subsequently sentenced to 3years 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”.
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“Likewise 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.
He also appealed to those who wish to be a lawyer to take a cue from the determined effort of a traditional ruler in the State “the Towulade of Akinale who at 75 years of age still endeavour to go to law school because of his interest in legal profession rather than impersonating.
