MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 26-year old man, Adewole Sikiru Balogun, who claimed to be a lawyer, has told the Police that he was actually the one that called himself to the Nigeria Bar two years ago and had been practicing as a lawyer before he was arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Balogun, was arraigned before Magistrates Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State, on a one count charge of impersonation under the Criminal Law of the State.
The defendant, Balogun, who resides at Aerodrome Estate, Samonda, Ibadan, was charged to Court by the Iyaganku Area Command of the Oyo State Police Command for falsely claiming to be a legal practitioner.
Balogun was alleged to have stood as a guarantor in his self-acclaimed capacity as a lawyer for his pregnant girlfriend, who was arrested for allegedly embezzling some undisclosed amount of money belonging to a company, which had employed her before she was caught.
The suit, with charge number MI154C/2023, read: “That you Balogun Adewole ‘m’ on the 2nd day of May 2022, at Tee-Mag Micro Credit Company, Dugbe, Ibadan, in the Ibadan Magisterial District, did falsely represent yourself as a legal practitioner called to the Nigerian Bar Association since 2020, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 484 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. II Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.”
However, he pleaded not guilty.
Two lawyers, Aderibigbe Simeon and Sunday Adediran, stood in for the defendant and applied before the Court to grant him bail because the alleged offence he committed was a bailable offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, E.A. Idowu, granted him N500,000 bail with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the matter till 1st February, 2023, for further hearing.
The false claim was discovered by the Iyaganku Area Commander, ACP Abiodun Onuoha, when he was reported by a micro-credit company for signing as a guarantor to his girlfriend, who defrauded the company’s customers of over a million Naira.
On the guarantor’s form, Balogun claimed his occupation and profession as a Barrister and Solicitor and his job grade as a legal advocate.
After the said girlfriend failed to respond to calls by the company for her to come and give account of the money she had collected as contributions and loan returns from customers, Balogun allegedly bragged about being a lawyer.
During interrogation, Balogun did not respond to questions asked by the Area Commander when he claimed to be a law graduate of the University of Ibadan and could not present facts and documents to back his claims.
At first, he was said to have given his year of graduation from University of Ibadan as 2018, but later changed it to 2019, while he claimed he was called to Bar in 2020. The Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Court for the alleged offence.
He was remanded in custody pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.