Police in Lagos have arrested a man, Mr. Chris Elisha, for parading himself as a lawyer and holding legal briefs for unsuspecting members of the public for 15 years.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Chike Oti, said in a statement that nemesis caught up with Elisha on Tuesday, at Ojo Magistrates’ Ccourt where he appeared on behalf of an accused person but found it difficult to move a motion for the variation of the bail condition of his client.
He said: “The fake lawyer predicament did not go unnoticed by one Barrister Nnamdi Samuel Nwafor who challenged his qualification.
According to Nwafor, a newly qualified lawyer that is yet to cut his teeth at the Bar would have been able to move a motion without qualms. The hot argument between both men attracted the attention of other lawyers and the court duty policemen.
The officers took the suspect to the nearby Ojo Police Station where he confessed that he is a mere ‘charge and bail lawyer’ who had been practicing for the past 15 years. “ H e claimed he was more into corporate law practice and does little of litigation.
He stated further that he read Law at Eastern Ukrainian University, in the former Soviet Union but had no cert i ficate to show for it. Elisha told the police that he is a native of Avodim Ubakala in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.
“The suspect is currently undergoing interrogation at the X-Squad Section of the State Police Command Headquarters and would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.”
Oti said that based on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, mandated policemen to apprehend anybody perpetrating illegality no matter how highly placed. He admonished professional bodies to double check their members in order to fish out the quacks in their midst.
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