Treash:
My name is Adeolu Ayo Aderinto, a legal Practitioner practising both in Lagos and Ogun State; also a member of Ota branch of the NBA. A post was made on one of our branch WhatsApp platforms how a self-acclaimed but fake senior lawyer, Mr Omotola Olowooba was busted and arrested in Abeokuta yesterday. It's on this ground I passionately urge Nigerians, fellow lawyers, head of courts to kindly verify the authenticity of anyone who claims to be a legal Practitioner before engaging them.

The said self-acclaimed lawyer was personally known to me for 3 years and we young lawyers referred him as "oga" each time we crossed his path in court. We gathered that he appeared before the Federal High Court, in Abeokuta with a colleague to defend one of his clients in the case of Nigerian Custom vs. Bolarinwa Ebenezer on a bail application when his Lordship notices some irregularities in his application. Investigation reveals that he claims to have finished from Nigerian Law School in Lagos in 1997, yet unsubstantiated.

In order to be double sure of good allegation against him, NBA Ota had to make calls to the NBA National Secretariat wherein they spoke with the General Secretary of NBA as well as sent his details to them to confirm both from the NBA portal as well as the Supreme Court enrollment details whether or not he was indeed a lawyer. The final report from the NBA national Secretariat is to the effect that no such name exists as a lawyer. His Lordship has ordered him to be remanded with the SARS office in Abeokuta while awaiting for his arraignment next week. Imagine the whooping number of clients who must have engaged and paid him while genuine lawyers are clamouring for patronage.

Before you engage any lawyer as a client, or before you engage any lawyer to practice in your firm, always learn to confirm whether or not he is truly called. If you're called, kindly join a nearest NBA branch in case of uncertainty. The unsuspecting junior colleague who appears with him was arrested but was later released based on compelling facts which supported his own claim to be a lawyer. Let's make necessary findings before giving out our seals to anyone. The colleague's seal was used by the fake lawyer believing that "oga" was a lawyer.

Search the name of your lawyer here before you engage him.

https://nigerianbar.org.ng/find-lawyer

Adeolu Ayo Aderinto.