Police trails Fake Lawyer over N22m Fraud; Arrests Him Under His Bed

An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has remanded one Emmanuel Uba in prison, who is said to be in the habit of impersonating as a lawyer and fraudulently obtained N22million from a businessman.

Mr Uba was sent to jail after he jumped bail since 2014 and has been in hiding for about two years. He was arrested by policemen from Lagos police command, while hiding under his bed.

The accused who resides at Iyana Oba area of Lagos, was first arraigned on October 28, 2008 on a four-count charge bordering on false representation, forgery and fraud.

He then pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Steven Molo, told the court that the accused attended court proceedings till sometime in 2014, when he could not be traced. The police thereafter made efforts to re-arrest Uba.

Molo said, "He has been evading arrest since 2014, even his sureties, who are his kinsmen from the same hometown, were not aware of his whereabouts. He left Lagos and told his wife and children not to tell anyone his whereabouts, but the police arrested him while he was hiding under his bed.”

Insp. Molo alleged that Uba lied to his sureties that the verdict had been delivered in his favour, and damages awarded against the complainant.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, two of Uba’s kinsmen, who stood as his sureties applied to withdraw due to inconsistency of the accused.

Uba's lawyer, Mrs C. O. Mbah, had begged the court to admit the accused to bail, adding that he had some medical challenges.

But the Magistrate, Mr B. A. Sonuga, discharged the two men as sureties. He remanded Mr Uba in prison custody and adjourned the case till April 24 for continuation of trial.

According to details of the case, Mr Uba had in 2008, falsely represented himself as a legal practitioner to a businessman, one John Uka, at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex.

The accused also allegedly presented a forged letter-headed paper of the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry to John Uka, and obtained the sum of N22 million from the businessman.

The prosecutor said Uba also assured the businessman that he had become his lawyer and would represent him in any business deal.

The offences contravened Sections 390, 419, 465 and 484 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.