Caught in the Act: How a Fake Lawyer Fooled Ebonyi Courts for Over a Decade.

The wig, the gown and the red seal gave him away: a 33-year-old man who allegedly argued cases in Nigerian courts for more than ten years without ever being called to the Bar is now in custody.

ABAKALIKI, Ebonyi State. For over a decade, Ugwumba Francis Enyinnaya was a familiar figure in courtrooms across Ebonyi State, dressed in a barrister's wig and gown and handling land documents and court processes. Today he sits in the Abakaliki Correctional Centre, accused of being a fraud who never earned the title he wore.

Enyinnaya, 33, was arrested last week and arraigned before the Abakaliki Magistrate Court on charges of impersonation, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence. He was remanded in custody.

A petition that unraveled a decade of deception

Police spokesperson SP Joshua Ukandu said the case began with a petition alleging that Enyinnaya collected N650,000 in March 2026 to process approval for naming a street in Ohaozara Local Government Area. The complainant said the suspect presented himself as a lawyer with years of experience.

After a discreet investigation, operatives arrested him. According to police, he admitted under interrogation that he was not a lawyer.

What the search turned up

- A search of his residence recovered, according to police:

- A Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal

- A framed portrait of the suspect in barrister's regalia

- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) certificates bearing the name of Enugu State University of Science and Technology

- A barrister's robe and wig

Judgments allegedly procured from a court, plus powers of attorney, deeds of conveyance and other legal documents.

Commissioner of Police Hope Urunwa commended the officers and urged the public to verify the credentials of anyone offering legal services and report suspicious activity.

The Bar had been hunting him for years

Ekigbo Sampson, chairman of the NBA's Anti-Quackery Committee in the state, said the association had been after Enyinnaya for years. He claimed the suspect had appeared in High Courts, Customary Courts, Magistrate Courts and even the Court of Appeal, and had handled prosecutions.

The slip, Sampson said, was a red seal. The NBA stamp carries security features known only to lawyers, and a red seal is reserved for those in employment on the Bench. A process bearing one raised alarms.

Efforts to arrest him about five years ago failed, and he went into hiding. This time the association obtained a search warrant, but Sampson said the suspect led them through three different homes before they reached the fourth.

"We got the shock of our lives," Sampson said, describing the wig, the gown and the portrait of the suspect in NBA regalia. He said a recovered High Court judgment was forged because the judge's signature did not match, and he called the certificates irregular.

"He has put this profession into disrepute," Sampson said, vowing not to "fold my hands" and promising to pursue such cases. He alleged the suspect had duped many people.

In court

Principal State Counsel Lilian Anya of the Ministry of Justice told the court the offences were committed between March and October 2026 in Ohaozara and other parts of the Abakaliki Magisterial District. She said he conspired with others still at large.

The charges fall under Sections 516A(a), 484 and 419 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 33, Volume One, Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009. Section 484 covers falsely representing oneself as a legal practitioner, and Section 419 covers obtaining money by false pretence.

Defence counsel Sunday Eleke applied for bail, arguing that his client is presumed innocent until proven guilty and promising he would not jump bail.

Chief Magistrate Hosea Akata ruled that bail is not a constitutional right and ordered Enyinnaya remanded at the correctional centre.

A warning for the public

The case is a reminder to check a lawyer's credentials before paying for legal services. The NBA says anyone can verify a practitioner's status with the association, and suspected impostors should be reported to the police.

The suspect remains innocent in law until a court rules otherwise.