NBA raises alarm over activities of fake lawyers within Ikorodu

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikorodu branch in Lagos has raised the alarm over what the body described as activities of quack lawyers operating within their jurisdiction and bringing the name of the association into disrepute.

The association made this known in a letter by its chairman Adebayo Akinlade to the Inspector General of Police, the President of NBA and Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, explaining that the association is being ridiculed by the activities of fake lawyers led by a man identified as Dr Charles, who allegedly parades himself as a lawyer and extorts money from unsuspecting members of the public.

The NBA said it is concerned because as an association of legal practitioners called to the bar, it is their duty to ensure that the society is cleansed of any form of criminal activities, adding that since the law is not a respecter of any person, it is important to bring to an end the act of lawlessness of such people.

The association further alleged that the said Dr Charles and his cohort are culpable of criminal conspiracy, a threat to life and impersonation as well as intimidation, false information, forgery, obtaining by false pretence, which the NBA believes are conducts that are likely to cause a breach of peace.

“Being legal practitioners, who were called to the Bar and practising till date, it is our duty to ensure that the society is cleansed of any form of criminal activities of this person who has been parading himself as a lawyer and as a result, enriches himself by duping innocent members of the public.

“It is imperative to state among the surreptitious means used by Charles in duping people, are not but limited to proclaiming himself as personal assistant to vice President Yemi Osinbajo, by collecting huge sums of money from clients under the guise of filing court processes on their behalf. He also moves about parading himself as a close ally to the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu.

“His act of lawlessness cannot be quantified as they are barbaric and absurd. It is our firm belief that the law is no respecter of anybody. All efforts to make him change his fraudulent acts have proved abortive. We have been facing challenges over fake lawyers within our jurisdiction in the last two years. We hereby seek to alert the constituted authorities to investigate these assertions so as to bring him to book. We have all evidence to back our allegations against him and we shall not hesitate to provide them when required,” NBA stated.

Similarly, the families of Ajako and Shosanya of Owode Ibeshe in Ikorodu, have also complained of criminal conspiracy and a threat to life against the said, Dr Charles. The families through their legal representative, Tayo Ladega of A. B. Ladega and Associates had written to diverse security agencies to complain of Dr Charles intimidation while claiming to be a lawyer, allegedly using mobile policemen to harass them on their properties.