By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Godwin Eguabor |
Godwin Eguabor, 47, a suspected fake lawyer, was apprehended on Wednesday while pretending to represent a client in Badagry Magistrates' Court 2. The arrest was facilitated by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Badagry Branch, which had been monitoring reports of impersonation among its members.
The NBA Badagry Branch's Vice-Chairman, Atule Elchors, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) about the incident. According to Elchors, suspicions about Eguabor had been building for some time.
“For a long time, there were rumors of a fake lawyer among us, so we remained vigilant. On Wednesday, someone tipped me off that the individual in court was the alleged impersonator,” Elchors explained.
Elchors let Eguabor make his appearance before raising the alarm. The proceedings were interrupted by Elchors, who informed the court that Eguabor was not a licensed attorney when he introduced himself as "Barrister Godwin Eguabor."
“I asked him for his Supreme Court enrollment number, a requirement for all practicing lawyers. He could not provide it and instead resorted to evasive stories,” Elchors said.
Further investigation revealed inconsistencies in Eguabor's identity, as the name he used in court differed from the one he gave to police when he was arrested.
The suspect was subsequently handed over to the Badagry Police Station and later arraigned for impersonation under Section 380 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The prosecutor, ASP Edet Ekpo, told the court during the arraignment that the accused committed the crime on January 15 at around 11:30 a.m.
The accused was granted N1 million in bail by Magistrate L.A. Layeni, with two sureties in an equivalent amount. A managing director of a business and a one-year bank statement are required of one of the sureties. Furthermore, N25,000 must be deposited in cash into the account of the Registrar of the Ikeja High Court.
The case was adjourned to February 19 for further hearing.
This incident demonstrates the NBA's commitment to protecting the legal profession's integrity and ensuring that only qualified individuals practise law in Nigeria.