A middle-aged man, who has been parading as a lawyer for 15 years, was Tuesday nabbed at a magistrate court in Ojo area of Lagos for his inability to move a motion for bail.
The suspect identified as Barrister Elisha Chris was apprehended in the full regalia of a lawyer at Ojo Magistrate court where he attempted to stand as a lawyer for an accused person on a criminal case.
But the prosecuting counsel, Barrister Nnamdi Nwafor, who observed that the suspect could not move a motion for the variation of the bail condition of the accused, challenged his claim of being a lawyer.
It was gathered that the challenge led into a heated argument which attracted the attention of other lawyers and the court duty police men who later subjected him to interrogation.
The suspect, according to eye witnesses, insisted during questioning that he was a lawyer and had been practising for over 15 years.
But on reaching Ojo division, he opened up, admitting that “I am just a ‘charge and bail’ lawyer. What I do is to hang around courts, waiting for suspects whose cases are charged to court. If any of them did not come with a lawyer, I will stand in as one to effect their bail. I have been into this for 15 years.”
When news of his arrest reached Imohimi Edgal, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command directed that the suspect be transferred to the X-Squad for discreet investigation.
Edgal told operatives of X-Squad that he studied law at Eastern Ukrainian University in the former Soviet Union, but he was unable to present any certificate to authenticate his claim. Preliminary investigation, according to Police sources, also revealed that until his arrest. The suspect had won several cases in court and had also lost some.
Confirming the arrest, Chike Oti, the command spokesman, said: “He claimed he was more into corporate law practice and does little of litigation. Barrister Chris Elisha also told the police that he is a native of Avodim Ubakala in Umuahia South local government area of Abia state.
He is currently undergoing interrogation at the X- Squad Section of the State Police Command Headquarters and will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.
