A Chief Magistrates’ Court docket 1, sitting in Aba South Native Authorities Space of Abia State, has remanded 4 industrial pc centre operators within the Nigeria Correctional Service facility in Aba.
The accused, Onuoha Ikechukwu (40), Daniel Lawrence (27), Odinaka Onyeforo (37), and Ndukwe Chukwu (50), had been arraigned earlier than the courtroom, presided over by His Worship Erinma Maduagwu, on a three-count cost of conspiracy, impersonation, and forgery of a Energy of Lawyer, an act reserved for certified authorized practitioners.
In accordance with the cost sheet, the suspects operated at Nos. 2F and 2J Pound Street Extension, Aba, close to the courtroom, and had been concerned in illicit actions for years. The primary defendant, Onuoha Ikechukwu, was caught with over 70 solid Powers of Lawyer, bearing the names of each residing and deceased legal professionals.
The suspects, who had been usually patronised by legal professionals for authorized doc preparation, allegedly stole legal professionals’ letterheads and, in connivance with different syndicates now at massive, ready unlawful paperwork for unsuspecting purchasers, utilizing stamps and seals of deceased legal professionals.
Prosecutor Uzoamaka Emmanuel said that their actions violated sections 516A(a), 484, and 465, punishable beneath part 467(1)(b) of the Legal Code Cap 80 Vol. III Legal guidelines of Abia State of Nigeria 2005.
Counts two and three accused the defendants of falsely presenting themselves as licensed surveyors and authorized practitioners by making ready Deeds of Energy of Lawyer utilizing stolen letterheads and the names of legal professionals, together with one Van Abakwuo and Mr. Izuchukwu Onyeoma.
The cost sheet additional said that the suspects solid quite a few Energy of Lawyer paperwork utilizing fraudulent particulars and authorized illustration.
“Different Deeds of Energy of Lawyer purportedly executed by you for yet-to-be-identified individuals as listed on the face of the stated Deeds; so many canopy pages of Energy of Lawyer signed by Joshua Onyekachi Emele ESQ with out the identify of any Donor and Donee.
“One Energy of Lawyer between Mr. Awa Agwu, Robert Nworo, and Onyegu Ifeanyi and different authorized paperwork respectively, a illustration to be false, thereby committing an offence punishable beneath part 484 of the Legal Code Cap 80 Vol. III Legal guidelines of Abia State of Nigeria 2005.
“That you simply, Onuoha Ikechukwu ‘M’, Daniel Lawrence ‘M’, Odinakachi Onyeforo ‘M’, Ndukwe Chukwu ‘M’, and others now at massive on or earlier than the ninth day of October 2024, at Nos: 2F, 2J Pound Street Extension, Aba, within the Aba South Magisterial District, did forge and promote authorized paperwork to members of the general public, purporting identical to have been correctly ready by a solicitor/Advocate of the Supreme Court docket of Nigeria, thereby committing an offence opposite to part 465, punishable beneath part 467(1)(b) of the Legal Code Cap 80 Vol. III Legal guidelines of Abia State of Nigeria 2005.”
The defendants, represented by their legal professionals, pleaded not responsible to the fees. The trial Justice of the Peace adjourned the matter to Friday, October 25, for consideration of their bail utility and ordered their remand within the Aba Nigeria Correctional Service facility.
In the meantime, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Affiliation, Aba department, Barr. Charles Oluchukwu, who led different legal professionals to the courtroom, commented on the case, “These perpetrators have really handled us (legal professionals). The Bar handed a decision that such people caught must be prosecuted, and a few of our colleagues who’re aiding them in signing these paperwork must be reported to the Authorized Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee in Abuja for prosecution, with the potential of having their licences withdrawn.”
Oluchukwu added, “The mandate has been given to me to clamp down on them by a 5-man committee known as the Anti-Pretend Attorneys and Automobile Stickers Committee, headed by Uchenna Ejiogu.
“The general public ought to desist from patronising these quacks as a result of many of the Powers of Lawyer they purportedly put together are faulty. We will start prosecuting those that patronise them.
“Our recommendation to those pc operators is that they need to desist from conniving with quacks to arrange authorized paperwork. We won’t spare anybody concerned.
“We now have put measures in place by organising a committee that can monitor these unlawful actions by touts.”