Suspected fake lawyer exposed in court, remanded by judge in Rivers

A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Thursday remanded an alleged fake lawyer identified as Stanley Epini Ejiroghene in police custody.

Ejiroghene was found to have practiced for 10 years in the state.

The suspect was exposed in court during his cross-examination as a witness in a criminal matter when he failed to provide answers to questions on his genuineness as a lawyer viz-a-viz his date of call to bar and the university he attended as a law student.

He was subsequently remanded by Justice Chiwendu Nworgu at the request of the Chairman of the Port Harcourt chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association, Prince Onyekwere, pending the outcome of investigations. The defense team in the criminal matter also tendered reports from the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the NBA disowning Ejiroghene as a legal practitioner in Nigeria.

Speaking outside the courtroom, the defence lawyer in the said criminal matter Ibikri Otorubio said, “Our suspicion began when the matter first came up for plea and he professed himself to be a learned senior lawyer. He now turned to me and said counsel what is the punishment for a dud cheque? I was taken aback, you mean as a very senior counsel as he professed himself to be, he does not know the punishment for dud check?”

Also speaking, Onyekwere said he asked the court to remand the suspect to prevent him from possible escape.