Ebonyi Police arrest alleged fake lawyer after 10 years of impersonation
The Police Command in Ebonyi has arrested a man, Ugwumba Enyinnaya, for allegedly impersonating and practising as a lawyer for more than 10 years.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a press statement issued in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
Ukandu said the arrest followed a discreet investigation by operatives of the command after receiving a petition bordering on alleged obtaining of money by false pretence.
According to him, the petitioner, Mr David Chukwu, alleged that the suspect collected ₦650,000 from him in March 2026 to facilitate the processing and approval of a street-naming request in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.
He said the suspect allegedly presented himself as a lawyer with years of legal experience while collecting the money.
Ukandu said preliminary investigations following the arrest revealed that the suspect had allegedly been parading himself as a legal practitioner in spite of lacking the requisite professional qualifications.
He added that the suspect admitted during interrogation that he was not a lawyer.
The police spokesman said a search of the suspect’s apartment led to the recovery of several exhibits, including a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal and a portrait of the suspect dressed in barrister’s regalia.
Other items recovered, according to him, included purported Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree certificates bearing the name of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).
The police also recovered a barrister’s robe and wig, court judgments allegedly procured from the court, and various legal documents purportedly prepared by the suspect.
Ukandu listed some of the documents as powers of attorney and deeds of conveyance.
He said the suspect had been charged to court.
The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi, CP Hope Okafor, had commended the operatives for their diligence in uncovering the alleged impersonation.
The police reiterated the need for members of the public to exercise caution when engaging individuals who claimed to be qualified legal practitioners.
