A 47- year -old suspected fake lawyer , Tajudeen Idris , has been arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command for posing as a legal practitioner.
The suspect was arrested on Friday at Magistrates ’ Court 6 in the Ifo Local Government Area of the state.
Idris was said to have appeared before Chief Magistrate I . A . Arogundade in a civil case between one Ifeanyi Chuckwu Andrea Ayo Itori .
He allegedly claimed to be a counsel from Tajudeen O . Idris & Co . Chambers and was representing one of the parties .
The state Police Public Relations Officer , Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday .
Oyeyemi said the suspected fake lawyer ’ s conduct and his manner of presentation before the chief magistrate aroused suspicion about his qualification as a lawyer .
The PPRO said the suspect ’ s action prompted the chief magistrate to ask him for the year he was called to the bar , which he claimed to be 2009.
“ But further enquiry revealed that his name was nowhere to be found among those called to the bar in 2009, hence the police were invited.
“ 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. ”
The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun , had expressed concern over the increase in the number of fake lawyers swindling people of their hard-earned money.
Ajogun recalled that not less than five cases of fake lawyers had been reported since his assumption of office less than two months ago .
According to the PPRO, on August 12, 2020, 56- year -old Sylvester Ogbagu was arrested at Sagamu while parading himself as a lawyer ; while one Adedeji Ebenezer was also apprehended on the court premises at Itori on August 5, 2020, while appearing for a client; he was tried and subsequently sentenced to three years’ imprisonment .
He added , “
Another suspected fake lawyer , Elijah Ayodeji Ojo , was also arrested at the Ajuwon Police Station on the 28th of June , when he came to solicit a so -called client, who was having a criminal matter with the police.
“ Likewise, one Lawrence Oyedunu was arrested in Sango Ota while presenting himself as a counsel to a suspect .
“ The CP therefore called on the state branch of the NBA to put necessary machinery in motion to check the activities of these fraudulent people.
“ He also appealed to those who wish to be lawyers 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 endeavoured to go to the Law School because of his interest in the legal profession rather than impersonating. ”
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