Fake Lawyer Jailed for Impersonation, Possession of Forged NBA Seal

The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced John Nwawuto Anoruo for impersonating a legal practitioner and using a forged Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal.

Justice A. M. Lawal delivered the judgment on Tuesday after the 55-year-old pleaded guilty to the two-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Anoruo, who operated a legal and educational consultancy in Ikorodu, was arrested in April 2026 after investigations revealed that he had been presenting himself as a qualified lawyer despite not being called to the Nigerian Bar.

The investigation began after he submitted a petition to the EFCC on behalf of clients against Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited. Authorities later discovered that the petition and a subsequent withdrawal letter carried a counterfeit NBA seal bearing the Supreme Court enrolment number of another legal practitioner.

During investigations, Anoruo admitted obtaining the forged seal from a business centre in Lagos. He also disclosed that although he earned a law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 2018 through evening classes, he never attended the Nigerian Law School.

The EFCC told the court that the fake lawyer earned ₦7.5 million from the legal brief, paying ₦1.5 million to a licensed lawyer to handle the matter while retaining the balance.

Investigators also recovered a legal practitioner’s robe and the counterfeit NBA seal during a search of his residence. Additional evidence presented included correspondence between the EFCC, the Body of Benchers and the Supreme Court confirming that Anoruo was never enrolled as a legal practitioner.

After reviewing the evidence and the defendant’s guilty plea, Justice Lawal convicted him on both counts.

The court imposed a fine of ₦120,000 on the first count and ₦150,000 on the second count, bringing the total fine to ₦270,000, payable to the Lagos State Judiciary.

In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of the forged NBA seal and the legal practitioner’s attire recovered from Anoruo to the Federal Government through the EFCC.

During sentencing, defence counsel pleaded for leniency, describing Anoruo as a first-time offender and the sole breadwinner of his family. The court, however, maintained that the conviction reflected the seriousness of impersonating a legal practitioner and using forged professional credentials.