A Chief Magistrates Court in Gusau, Zamfara State, has convicted a fake lawyer, Mr. Jude Chukwuka.
It was gathered that Chukwuka was nabbed by the Zamfara State Police Command on January 18, following a complaint received from the Chairman of Zamfara State chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Junaidu Abubakar.
He was said to have paraded himself as a lawyer at the Higher Sharia Court, Tudun Wada area in Gusau, the state capital.
When the charges were read to him, the fake lawyer pleaded guilty and asked the court to tender justice with mercy by considering the option of fine on him.
He begged the court that sending him to a correctional facility will put his family under serious difficulties as he is the only breadwinner.
The 46-year-old man said that he had lost everything, including his business to two fire incidents, saying that his seven children – four minors and three unemployed adults can’t support the family to survive the hardship they are facing.
In his judgment, the presiding Magistrate, Sa’adu Garba Gurbin Bore, sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment on the first count charge with the option of N50,000 fine and one year imprisonment without the option of a fine for the second count charge of impersonation.
Counsel to the convict, Joseph Eze Esq. said his client was arraigned in court on a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and cheating.