Operatives of the Ebonyi State Police Command have apprehended a 40-year-old man, Ugwumba Francis Enyinnaya, for allegedly posing as a qualified lawyer and operating an illegal legal practice in the state for over 11 years.
The arrest was confirmed on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu. Ukandu revealed that the command initiated a discreet investigation following a petition filed against the suspect regarding allegations of obtaining money under false pretenses.
During interrogation at the Command Headquarters in Abakaliki, Enyinnaya reportedly confessed that he lacked formal legal training and was never called to the Nigerian Bar. Following his confession, police detectives executed a search warrant at his residence, where they uncovered a collection of forged professional materials.
Among the items seized were a forged Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal, a lawyer’s traditional robe and wig, and a framed portrait of the suspect clad in full legal regalia.
Investigators also recovered forged Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree certificates bearing the logo of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), alongside a trove of court judgments, Powers of Attorney, and Deeds of Conveyance drafted by the suspect during his decade-long operation.
Commending the operatives for their diligence in exposing the fraud, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hope Okafor, cautioned the general public against engaging unverified legal practitioners. She advised prospective clients to consistently cross-check the professional status of lawyers through the local branches of the Nigerian Bar Association before seeking their services.
The Ebonyi State Police Command confirmed that Enyinnaya has been remanded in custody and formally charged to court to face prosecution for forgery, impersonation, and obtaining money under false pretenses.
