Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Sylvester Ogbogu who was arraigned in August 2020 and though granted bail which he was unable to perfect until about 3 months later, has finally been convicted and sentenced tk 1 year imprisonment by O. L. Oke, Chief Magistrate 2 sitting at Ota, Ogun state.
The trial on the case commenced in November wherein one Emmanuel Koko Umana gave evidence as PWI.
Whereas 2 more witnesses were to give evidence on Monday, 14th December, 2020, the arrested suspect who was arrested and arraigned in court in the grounds of he parading himself as a Barrister and Solicitor, which he having alleged to have obtained his LLB degree at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma as well as he having been called to the Nigerian Bar sometime in 2014, wherein after he obtained his LLM at the University of Benin, had to change his plea of not guilty to a plea of guilt on Monday 14th December, 2020.
The above necessitated the Chief Magistrate, O. L. Oke, a Chief Magistrate Grade 2 to adjourn the case to today, 17th December 2020 for the prosecutor to present the facts.
Sequel to the confessional statement of the Said Sylvester Ogbogu as well as the other overwhelming 17 exhibits which revealed his previous activities where he represented himself to the public and acted in the capacity of a legal practitioner, he was eventually found guilty.
Sequel to plea of his counsel for leniency, the learned Vhief Magistrate O. L Oke rightly held that despite the defendant change of plea and notwithstanding the fact that he has spent about 3 months at the correctional center, in order to nip in the bud the increasing rate of so many persons impersonation themselves as lawyers whereas they were never so-called to the Nigerian Bar and enrolled as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and in order tk send a serious note of warning to others still engaged in this nefarious activities, the said Sylvester Ogbogu was eventually sentenced to 1 year imprisonment without any option of fine.
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