Date: 2017-02-02

A land speculator posing as lawyer and standing trial before an Ilorin Magistrate Court has allegedly practiced law for about 10 years in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

The fake lawyer named Peter Itopa Adogun, according to court records, even appeared before justices up to the Supreme Court.

The accused, falsely practiced under the name of Inufin David Taiwo, which belongs to a certified lawyer based in Abuja, the court was told on Wednesday.

The state police command arrested Adogun following a petition written by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch. He was first arraigned before Magistrate I.O. Olawoyin January 10th, 2017 on a five-count charge of impersonation, resistance or obstruction of his lawful arrest or escape, using as genuine forged documents, fabricating false evidence and wearing or carrying token used by public servant contrary to Sections 179,172,366,158 and 133 of the Penal Code. However, the court was told on Wednesday that Adogun, who has been remanded at Mandala Prison since January 10, 2017, was sick and could not appear.

The development made Magistrate Olawoyin to order the prison authorities to treat him properly or take him to a medical facility to ensure he can stand his trial at the next adjourned date.

The accused, according to the First Information Report (FIR) was arrested while hiding inside the roof of his house located along ‘F’ Division police station Road, Tanke, Ilorin on January 7, 2017, some few weeks after he had failed to honour an administrative bail granted him by the police.

According to the FIR, Adogun was practising with photocopies of a certificate issued by the Council of Legal Education, dated March 27, 2007, a certificate of call to the bar, dated May 8th, 2007 and a Bachelor of Law certificate of the University of Maiduguri, dated February 21, 2015 as well as a NYSC certificate dated March 5, 2008, all in the name of Inufin David Taiwo.

He was accused of collecting the said certificates from its original owner under the pretense of helping him to secure a job in a popular oil company based in Ilorin, Kwara state.

The FIR report states that: "It was further revealed that the suspect has practiced as a legal practitioner and appeared in several matters in all levels of Nigerian Courts up to Supreme Court with the adopted name 'Barrister I.T.David'. The suspect has also prepared and signed several legal documents and court processes in the same adopted name.

"When the actual Barrister Inufin David Taiwo was contacted by the police investigator, he confirmed knowing the suspect as a land speculator in Abuja who was also a client at the law office where he observed his NYSC.

He stated further that he actually gave the copies of his credentials to the suspect to assist him in securing employment and he is not aware that the suspect has been practising in his name with the photocopies of the documents.

Investigation into the case revealed that the suspect is not a legal practitioner as he presented himself to be and he did not undertake any law programme in any institution." The court adjourned the matter to February 16, 2017 for further mention.