MICHAEL AKINOLA
Six suspected fake lawyers namely, Rebecca Adeola, 32; Moses Toviesi ,23; Abimbola Opeyemi, 43; Precious Oluwole,18; Eniola Sowunmi, 33; and Agbona Abdulrahman, 36, have landed in trouble for performing duties of legal practitioners without license.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects have been arraigned before the Abeokuta Chief Magistrates Court on three counts of impersonation, unlawful preparation of land documents and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The incident happened at Isabo area of Abeokuta in Ogun State.
The prosecutor, Inspector Lawrence Olu-Balogun, told the court that the defendants committed the offences at the Isabo area of Abeokuta by unlawfully using the title of legal practitioners to prepare land documents without authorization.
The prosecution also alleged that the defendants also conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of public peace by their conduct.
According to the prosecutor, some members of the Nigerian Bar Association had approached the defendants, pretending to be clients so as to uncover their illegal acts.
The defendants fell into the trap, which led to their arrest and arraignment before the Court on the alleged offence, which contravened the provisions of Section 22 of the Legal Practitioners Act, Cap L11 Law of the Federation, 2004.
It also contravened the provisions of Section 3 of the Land Instruments Preparation Law of Ogun State 2006, as well as Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code Law of Ogun State, 2006.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. A.K. Araba, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N1m each with two sureties each in like sum.
The Court ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relative and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction while the second surety must be gainfully employed with the Ogun State Government and must provide evidence of tax payment.
The matter was adjourned till 3rd December, 2025, for hearing while the defendants were remanded in custody at the Correctional Center pending perfection of their bail conditions.