A Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court, on Tuesday sentenced a 42-year-old farmer, Boniface Ikyernum, to one year imprisonment for impersonating a lawyer and forging his documents.
Ikyernum, who resides at Luga Mbatiav, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue, was charged with impersonation and forgery.
The police prosecutor, Insp Godwin Ato, told the court that Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi branch, Maimuna Ikwulono, reported the matter at the State CID, via a petition dated Nov. 8, 2022.
In the petition, the defendant who is not a legal practitioner, was accused of presenting himself as a lawyer bearing S.T Akohol Esq and J.S Okutekpa SAN of J.S Okutekpa SAN & Co.
The complainant added that Ikyernum also forged a letter, seal and signature of the said legal practitioners, which he submitted to his tenant, one Miss Lucy Terungwa without lawful justification.
Ato informed the court that the accused was later arrested and he confessed to the crime.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 181 and 365 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue, 2004.
Reports that Ikyernum had pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Roseline Iyorshe, sentenced him to one year imprisonment without option of fine.