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.
