Fake Lawyer Arrested After 15 Years Practice In Lagos

The arms of the law have caught up with a 49-year-old fake lawyer, Chris Elisha, for acting as counsel for fifteen years at the Ojo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos State.

Naija News gathered that the police at the Ojo division arrested Elisha on Tuesday after a lawyer, Nnamdi Okafor raised a suspicion.

Elisha, according to Punch, wanted to quote a section of the constitution during a court session in an attempt to apply for his client’s bail when he went off the hook.

His action reportedly aroused the suspicion of Nwafor, who was also present at the proceeding and accused him of being a fake lawyer after the court sitting.

Following the argument that ensued between the duo, the policemen attached to court took the suspect to the police station for interrogation.

Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to the police that he studied at a Ukrainian university, but had yet to be called to the bar.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti, on Wednesday said Elisha could not tender any certificate as evidence that he studied law.

He said the suspect who is a native of Avodim Ubakala, Abia State, had been transferred to the X-Squad section of the state police command in Ikeja and would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.

He said, “Chris Elisha has been practising as a lawyer for the past 15 years without being spotted. However, nemesis caught up with him on February 6, 2018, at the Ojo Magistrate’s Court where he appeared on behalf of an accused but found it difficult to move a motion for the variation of the bail condition of his client.

“His predicament did not go unnoticed by one Nnamdi Nwafor who challenged his qualification. 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 was a mere charge and bail lawyer, who had been practising for the past 15 years. He claimed that 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 certificate to show for it.”

He added, “The Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, has warned that policemen are in every nook and cranny of the state and have been mandated to apprehend anybody perpetrating illegality, no matter how highly placed they are.

“He further admonished professional bodies to double check their members in order to fish out the quacks in their midst.”