A man, identified as Adebowale Babatunde, has been arrested for parading himself as a lawyer while presenting himself as a counsel before a Magistrate Court in Osogbo, Osun State.
Investigations show that Mr Babatunde had practised for over 10 years and was charged by the police in a case file number: MOS/152C/2021.Â
A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Osogbo branch, Dawood Ajetunmobi, said the Ministry of Justice has taken over the case from the police after the union requested it to do so.
It was learnt that the fake lawyer,
on March 10, 2021, appeared before Magistrate A. A. Adeyeba to move a motion. Â
However, the way and manner in which the fake lawyer conducted himself in court raised suspicion which angered one of the lawyers in the court.Â
The lawyer, O.U. Yussuf asked the court through an oral application to dig into the personal details and status of Mr Babatunde as a lawyer.Â
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The magistrate gave a prompt order for the arrest of the defendant.
Meanwhile, the trial of the defendant, which was supposed to come up on Wednesday, 8, September 2021 before the Osogbo Chief Magistrate A.K. Ajala, was shelved as Mr Babatunde was absent in court.
In his ruling, Magistrate Ajala refused the prosecutor’s prayer and adjourned the matter to September 24, 2021, since the matter was coming up before him for the first time.Â