Police arrest alleged fake lawyer after 11 years in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a man, Ugwumba Enyinnaya, for allegedly impersonating a lawyer and practising illegally for more than 11 years.

The suspect was arrested following a petition alleging that he obtained ₦650,000 from a resident under false pretences, according to the police.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the petitioner, Chukwu David, alleged that Enyinnaya collected the money from him in March 2026 to facilitate the processing and approval of a street-naming request in Ohaozara Local Government Area.

Ukandu said the suspect allegedly presented himself as an experienced legal practitioner while collecting the money.

He added that investigations following the arrest indicated that Enyinnaya had been parading himself as a lawyer despite lacking the requisite qualifications.

According to the police spokesperson, the suspect admitted during interrogation that he was not a lawyer.

A search of his apartment reportedly led to the recovery of several items, including a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal, a portrait of the suspect dressed in barrister’s regalia, and purported Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) certificates bearing his name and that of Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

Other items recovered included a barrister’s wig and robe, court judgments allegedly obtained from the court, and legal documents purportedly prepared by him, including powers of attorney and deeds of conveyance.

The police said the suspect had been charged to court.

The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, CP Hope Okafor, commended the operatives for uncovering the alleged impersonation and urged members of the public to verify the credentials of individuals offering legal services.

She also advised residents to report suspicious activities to the police.

Bar & Bench Watch reports that Enyinnaya’s arrest comes amid previous cases in which Nigerian courts have convicted and sentenced individuals for falsely presenting themselves as legal practitioners.

In August 2025, a Magistrate Court in Otor-Udu, Delta State, sentenced Alex Young Vweta Egone to a total of five-and-a-half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to four counts involving impersonation and forgery.

According to reports, Egone had been presenting himself as a lawyer and acting for members of the public.
Items recovered from him included a forged NBA stamp and seal bearing his name and the Supreme Court number of another lawyer.

The court ordered the prison terms to run consecutively, meaning they were to be served one after another.

Similarly, in June 2024, an Anambra State High Court sitting in Otuocha sentenced Obinna Oraezue to 90 days’ imprisonment with hard labour for impersonating a lawyer.

Oraezue was arrested after appearing in court to represent a litigant in a land matter.
His inability to demonstrate basic legal knowledge raised suspicions, and he subsequently admitted that he had studied Political Science rather than Law.

The judge said the sentence was intended to serve as a deterrent to others contemplating similar conduct.
The court also referred the law firm that had engaged him as a junior lawyer to the NBA for investigation and possible disciplinary action.
The cases demonstrate that impersonating a legal practitioner can attract imprisonment, particularly where the conduct involves forgery or other criminal offences.

Enyinnaya’s case, however, remains subject to judicial determination.
His arrest and the allegations against him do not, by themselves, establish guilt.