By Olubiyi Taiwo
The Ogun State Command of Nigeria Police on Thursday paraded a fake Lawyer, Lawrence Oyenedu who was arrested at Ota in Ado Odo Ota Local government area of Ogun State.
Mr. Oyenedu, aged 54, claimed to have attended the prestigious University of Lagos, Akoka, UNILAG and graduated in 2003.
The fake lawyer claimed that he attended Lagos Law school and was CALLED TO THE BAR IN LAGOS IN 2004.
He further claimed that since his call in 2004 by IDRIS LEGBO KUTIGI, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, he was a former Litigation clerk and thereafter a counsel at Robert Clarke, SAN law firm, which said office he presently uses as corresponding address.
According to Mr. Oyenedu his SUPREME COURT NUMBER is: SCN: 15840392.
However investigation revealed that Mr. Oyenedu was once a litigation Clerk at the learned Silk office where he disengaged several years ago, he later went to the National Open University in 2015 and thereafter parades himself as a legal practioner.
Some legal documents which he prepared and franked as a lawyer were retrieved as the whole community where he resides knows him and addresses him as a lawyer.
It was revealed that Mr. Oyenedu has a wig and gown in his house with which he represents himself as a lawyer and has appeared in several courts, including High Courts.
Olayele Kevin Faturoti Esq., discovered Mr. Oyenedu’s fake status and exposed him which led to his arrest on 9th March, 2020. While several other persons, whom the said suspect had once represented as a counsel made statements against him, including but not limited to Mr. Zaccheous Sokunbi, whom the suspect collected the sum of #400k from for a brief on land matter in Ogun state which is now pending before Hon. Justice Fabamwo, wrote statement against him alongside one Esther Ojone Enemaku of counsel wrote statement against him on behalf of NBA Ota branch.
While parading the suspects and 45 others for various offenses at the Command's headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital, the State Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrinsom said the fake lawyer was arrested after duping an unsuspecting client of N400,000 naira.
The police boss said the suspect was arrested after the client petitioned the police over disappearance and non- appearance of the lawyer at court sittings after the judge questioned the competence of the suspect in court.
Speaking to journalists, Oyedunu admitted in committing the crime but denied parading himself as a professional lawyer.
He said "he was a graduate of Law from Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). I got admission to NOUN in 2011 to read Law and I graduated in 2015. Before I finished my programme, the Federal government has cancelled Law programme at NOUN and because of this, I cannot proceed to Law School ".
"We finished in 2015, I started practising. On the matter with Mr. Zacchues Shokunbi, who has issues with his landed property at Ewekoro. I charged him One million Naira, but pleaded to pay #700,000, out of which he has paid #400,000".
On his part, the complainant, Mr. Shokunbi said, he was introduced to the fake lawyer by 'Ololo' an independent presenter with a popular radio station in Lagos.
"When I had problem with my landed property, I went to the radio station for assistance and I met 'Ololo' who introduced the lawyer to me. I never knew that he was fake.
Speaking further, Ebrimson revealed that the police also arrested four fake immigration officers who one of them impersonated the State Controller at a Chinese company in Sagamu after trying to dupe the expatriates.
The suspects are Emeka Ibeh Anyawu, James Chibubueze Okocha, Moses Micheal and Oyekunle Adeoye.
He said the police recovered fake identification cards of Controller and assistant controller and immigration uniform.
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