A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced a 55-year-old man, John Nwawuto Anoruo, for impersonating a legal practitioner and using a forged Nigerian Bar Association seal.
The conviction comes amid growing concerns over the activities of fake lawyers in Nigeria, with the NBA and law enforcement agencies intensifying efforts to curb impersonation and protect members of the public from legal fraud.
PUNCH Metro learnt from a statement posted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on its official X handle on Tuesday that Justice A.M. Lawal convicted Anoruo after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and the fraudulent use of a counterfeit NBA seal.
According to the EFCC, Anoruo operated a legal and educational consultancy in the Ikorodu area of Lagos and was arrested by operatives of the commission on April 20, 2026, following investigations into a petition he submitted on behalf of clients against the management of Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited.
The anti-graft agency said investigations revealed that both the petition and a subsequent letter withdrawing it bore a forged NBA seal, raising suspicions about the authenticity of the sender’s legal credentials.
Further investigations established that Anoruo was neither called to the Nigerian Bar nor enrolled as a legal practitioner in Nigeria, despite presenting himself as a lawyer and carrying out legal services for unsuspecting clients.
The EFCC said he pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him in court.
Following his plea, the prosecution urged the court to convict him based on the evidence before it, while the court subsequently found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly.
The commission said the judgment underscores its commitment to tackling forgery, impersonation and other fraudulent practices that undermine public confidence in the legal profession.
The NBA introduced personalised security seals and stamps in 2015 as part of reforms to curb the activities of fake lawyers and safeguard the integrity of legal documents. Under the policy, legal processes filed in Nigerian courts are generally required to bear the official NBA seal of a duly enrolled legal practitioner.
The association has repeatedly warned the public against patronising unqualified persons posing as lawyers, noting that such impersonation not only defrauds clients but also threatens the administration of justice.
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