A 47-year-old man Tajudeen Olufemi Idris has been arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command for parading himself as a legal practitioner
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP, Abimbola Oyeyemi in a statement on Monday, the suspect was arrested at Magistrate Court 6, Ifo 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 Chambers
“His conduct and presentation before the Chief magistrate arose suspicious about his qualification as a lawyer and this prompted the Chief magistrate to ask him of the year he was called to the bar, which he claimed to be 2009,” the police said.
“Further enquiry revealed that his name is nowhere to be found amongst those called to bar in 2009, hence, police were notified.”
“Consequently, the Divisional Police Officer, Ifo Division, CSP Adeniyi Adekunle detailed his operatives to the scene where the suspect was apprehended and he is currently undergoing investigation.”
The spokesman, however, said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Ajogun has expressed concern about an increase in the number of people impersonating as lawyers thereby swindling unsuspecting 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
The Commissioner of Police has, therefore, called on the State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to put necessary machinery in place 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 75yrs of age still endeavours to study Law as a result of his interest in the legal profession, rather than impersonating.”
