Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, on Wednesday drags 22 persons before the Magistrate Court sitting at the Court One, Iyaganku, Ibadan over impersonation, unlawful legal practice, presenting themselves to the general public as legal practitioners with the intent to defraud people and being in possession of signed and sealed land purchase agreements.
IPO in charge of the case, Inspector Sikiru Opaleye brought the 22 accused persons before Magistrate O. O. Ogunkanmi, while the Court Registrar read the three-count charge to their hearing.
The three-count charge on the charge sheet reads:
“IN THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE Court OF OYO STATE OF NIGERIA
IN THE IBADAN MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT HOLDEN AT IBADAN
CHARGE NO: MI/2089
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE OYO STATE VERSUS
1. FESTUS OMOLADE ‘M’ AGE 37YRS
2. OYEBODE ELIZABETH F AGE 51YRS
3. AKINADE ADEOLU ‘M’ AGE 52YRS
4. BOSE DURODOLA F AGE 38YRS
5. HAMZAT SULEMAN ‘M’ AGE 60YRS
6. OLATUNJI SANGOTADE ‘M’ AGE 55YRS
7. AYOMIKUN BRIGHT ‘M’ AGE 29YRS
8. BAMIGBADE JANET ‘F AGE 50YRS
9. AYENI OLAYEMI ‘M’ AGE 48YRS
10. AINA OLAYINKA ‘M’ AGE 60YRS
11. OYEWUSI OMOWUNMI ‘F’ AGE 34YRS
12. ADEBIYI BOSE ‘F’ AGE 52YRS
13. 17 ALADE OLASUPO ‘M’ AGE 65YRS
14. AKINWUNMI LUKUMAN ‘M’ AGE 63YRS
15. ISMAILA ADELABU ‘M’ 67YRS
16. OGUNDIPE OLAJUMOKE ‘F AGE 32YRS
17. AKANDE OMOLARA ‘F’ AGE 39YRS 18 AJIBADE OLAMIDE ‘M’ AGE 21YRS
19. ADESHINA ADEDEJI ‘M’ AGE 36YRS
20. RASAKI LUKUMAN ‘M’ AGE 56YRS
21. LANASE IDAYAT ‘F’ AGE 35YRS
22. IBIKUNLE ADEKUNLE ‘M’ AGE 65YRS
“That you FESTUS OMOLADE ‘M’, OYEBODE ELIZABETH ‘F’, AKINADE ADEOLU ‘M’, BOSE DURODOLA ‘F’, HAMZAT SULEMAN ‘M’, OLATUNJI SANGOTADE ‘M. AYOMIKUN BRIGHT ‘M’, BAMIGBADE JANET ‘F’, AYENI OLAYEMI ‘M’, ΑΙΝΑ OLAYINKA ‘M’, OYEWUSI OMOWUNMI ‘F’, ADEBIYI BOSE ‘F’, ALADE OLASUPO M AKINWUNMI LUKUMAN ‘M’, ISMAILA ADELABU ‘M’, OGUNDIPE OLAJUMOKE T AKANDE OMOLARA ‘F. AJIBADE OLAMIDE ‘M’, ADESHINA ADEDEJI ‘M’, RASAKI LUKUMAN ‘M’, LANASE IDAYAT ‘F’, IBIKUNLE ADEKUNLE ‘M’ and others now at large, between 20th November, 2023 and 21st November, 2023, at Gate/Mapo/Iyaganku area, Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial district with intent to defraud did falsely represent yourselves to be legal practitioners to members of the public by preparing and signing legal documents such as land sale agreements 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.
“COUNT II: That you OMOLADE ‘M’, OYEBODE ELIZABETH ‘F’, AKINADE ADEOLU ‘M’, BOSE DURODOLA ‘F’, HAMZAT SULEMAN ‘M’, OLATUNJI SANGOTADE ‘M’, AYOMIKUN BRIGHT ‘M’, BAMIGBADE JANET ‘F’, AYENI OLAYEMI ‘M’, AINA OLAYINKA ‘M’ OYEWUSI OMOWUNMI F. ADEBIYI BOSE ‘F’, ALADE OLASUPO ‘M’, AKINWUNMI LUKUMAN ‘M’, ISMAILA ADELABU ‘M’, OGUNDIPE OLAJUMOKE ‘F’, AKANDE OMOLARA F. AJIBADE OLAMIDE ‘M’, ADESHINA ADEDEJI ‘M’, RASAKI LUKUMAN ‘M’, LANASE IDAYAT ‘F’, IBIKUNLE ADEKUNLE ‘M’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by parading yourselves as legal practitioners and preparing legal documents and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 249(d) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.
“COUNT III: That you FESTUS OMOLADE ‘M’, OYEBODE ELIZABETH ‘F’, AKINADE ADEOLU ‘M’, BOSE DURODOLA ‘F’, HAMZAT SULEMAN ‘M’, OLATUNJI SANGOTADE ‘M’, AYOMIKUN BRIGHT ‘M’, BAMIGBADE JANET ‘F’, AYENI OLAYEMI M. AINA OLAYINKA ‘M’, OYEWUSI OMOWUNMI F. ADEBIYI BOSE ‘F’, ALADE OLASUPO ‘M’. AKINWUNMI LUKUMAN ‘M’, ISMAILA ADELABU ‘M’, OGUNDIPE OLAJUMOKE F. AKANDE OMOLARA ‘F, AJIBADE OLAMIDE ‘M’, ADESHINA ADEDEJI ‘M’, RASAKI LUKUMAN ‘M’, LANASE IDAYAT ‘F’, IBIKUNLE ADEKUNLE ‘M’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did unlawfully have in your possession signed and sealed land purchase agreements which you cannot give satisfactory account of how you came about it and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 430 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 38, vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.”
The accused people pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate Ogunkanmi granted them bail with one surety each in the sum of ₦100,000, adding that the surety must be their blood relative and must be gainfully employed with verifiable address.
The magistrate also ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Agodi prison till they perfect their bail conditions.
Magistrate Ogunkanmi later adjourned the hearing till January 29th, 2024.
Addressing penangle.com shortly after the court session, the Secretary of the NBA, Ibadan Branch, Barrister Olakunle Akintola and and Barrister Segun Popoola who is the Chairman of Ibadan NBA’s Anti-touting and Ethics Committee said the NBA carried out a raid on unlawful legal practitioners and as a result, 22 persons were arraigned in court.
They said NBA would not watch while some unscrupulous elements demonise and bastardise the work of certified legal practitioners and also impersonate lawyers with the intent to defraud the unsuspecting members of the public.
They urged members of the public to refrain from patronising roadside typists and other impersonators who called themselves what they are not, charging them to patronise certified lawyers by going to their offices.
They also warned others who still impersonate lawyers, stressing that NBA will continue to trail impersonators, adding that the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with them. The also frowned at the activities of some paralegal and other judicial staff members aiding the culprits, stressing that NBA will not spare anyone regardless of whose ox is gored.
“We will not rest on our oars until we see that nobody stays by the roadsides to impersonate our members.
“We have a secretariat and people can verify who is a certified lawyer within maximum of five hours.
“If you need the service of a lawyer, go and meet him in his office, don’t patronise roadside impersonators because it is dangerous to patronise them.” They stated.
The NBA vowed that the raid will continue to be a periodic routine exercise until the legal practice is completely sanitised and freed from the handiwork of impersonators.