EFCC grills suspected fake lawyer over forged NBA seal allegation

The Nigerian legal profession is once again under scrutiny as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) apprehends a suspected fake lawyer, John Anoruo, in Lagos. This development, reported by Premium Times, brings to the forefront the persistent issue of impersonation within the ranks of legal practitioners in Nigeria.

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operatives of the commission arrested Mr Anoruo on Monday in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, where he runs a legal and educational consultancy.

Anoruo's alleged use of a forged Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal on official documents, including a petition submitted to the EFCC, has triggered a full-scale investigation. The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the arrest and detailed how the suspect, who runs a legal and educational consultancy in Ikorodu, admitted to obtaining the counterfeit seal from a local business center. This admission alone speaks volumes about the ease with which such fraudulent activities can be perpetrated.

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the suspect admitted obtaining the seal from an undisclosed business centre in Lagos.

Further complicating matters, Anoruo claims to possess a law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, obtained through evening classes, yet he never attended the Nigerian Law School. This is a critical point, as attendance at the Law School is a non-negotiable prerequisite for practicing law in Nigeria. His alleged deception raises serious questions about the integrity of his past legal representations and the potential impact on his clients.

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the 55-year-old claimed he obtained a law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 2018 through evening classes but did not attend the Nigerian Law School, a mandatory requirement for legal practice in Nigeria.

This case echoes a similar incident from last year where a suspected fake lawyer, Godwin Eguabor, was arrested in Badagry while representing a client. The vice-chairman of the NBA's Badagry branch, Atule Elchors, recounted how the suspect's inability to provide his Supreme Court number and the use of a different name when apprehended exposed his fraudulent activities. Such recurring incidents underscore a systemic vulnerability that the legal bodies and law enforcement agencies must urgently address. From our vantage point, the EFCC's swift action is commendable, but it also signals the need for more robust verification processes to safeguard the sanctity of the legal profession in Nigeria.

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I stood up and told the court that the person who appeared before the magistrate is not a legal practitioner.