NBA insists on sanitising system
The Nigeria Police Force, Ebonyi State Command, has arraigned a fake lawyer for falsification of certificates and impersonation. The accused person, Mr Benjamin Ifeanyi Igwe, was arraigned before a magistrate court sitting in Abakaliki over a two-count charge in a suit numbered MAB/868c/2018.
The police said ”he thereby committed offences punishable under sections 484 and 467(3) (b) both of criminal code cap 33 vol 1 laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009”.
During the arraignment, the defense counsel, Barr Uwa Chinedu Odono, pleaded with the court to grant his client bail since the matter was bailable and within jurisdiction of the Magistrate court .
His application was opposed by the police prosecutor, Inspector Uchenna Mbam, with a claim that in the course of police investigation, the suspect who is also a proprietor of a private nursery and primary school in the state, refused to give a definite residential address and might jump bail.
Speaking on the matter ,the trial Magistrate, Magistrate Nnachi Olughu, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 , one surety in like sum, who must a civil servant of grade level 15, must be resident within jurisdiction of the magistrate court, must deposit his work identity card, GEN 35, and deposit current photograph of both the surety and suspect .
The matter was adjourned to February 11, 2019 for report of compliance and further prosecutions. But unfortunately, as at the time of filing this report, the suspect was yet to meet the bail conditions and was remanded in prison custody.
The 39-year-old suspect who hails from Abaomege community in Onicha Local Government Area of the state was said to be of the popular Igweogboffia family and had been practicing as a lawyer since 2010 .
Speaking with our correspondent, the chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Abakaliki Taskforce Team, Barr. Stephen Agbabor and a member of the team, Barr Richard Utobo, disclosed that their search light had been on the accused since February 2018 when they spotted him in court looking so unkempt, stressing that since the interrogation and request by the team to sight his enrollment number and call to bar certificate, he absconded till December 20 when he appeared before Magistrate Ruth Okeh for a motion.
