By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
The Police has arraigned one Fatima Ibrahim, at a Chediya Magistrates’ Court sitting at GRA Zaria, Kaduna State, for impersonation as a Lawyer.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abubakar Ibrahim said the police had on October 17 received a petition bordering on impersonation from Augustine Agum, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Zaria branch on behalf of the association.
Ibrahim said that the accused had been parading herself as a lawyer having not been trained and qualified as a certified Lawyer.
He told the court that in the course of police investigation, the accused neither affirmed nor denied the allegation against her.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 179 Penal Code.
Fatima confessed before Chief Magistrate Judge Awwal Musa of committing the offence and said that circumstance made her do so.
The accused immediately retracted her guilty plea shortly after the prosecutor applied for her summary trial under Section 157 of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).
The accused counsel, Abdurrasaq Ahmed, thereafter applied for her bail, arguing that the alleged offence was bailable.
The Chief Magistrate, Auwal Musa, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in the like sum.
Musa said that the sureties must present bank account statements, letter from a traditional ruler, authentic residential address and telephone number.
“It is not an easy case because it tempers with the reputation and credibility of members of the bar profession, therefore, we are all affected,” he said.
He adjoined the case till Nov. 15th for hearing.
