Four Cybercafe Operators Arrested for Alleged Forgery, Impersonation In Abia

An Abia State Chief Magistrate Court has ordered the detention of four cybercafe operators at the Nigeria Correctional Service facility in Aba.
The individuals charged are Onuoha Ikechukwu, aged 40; Daniel Lawrence, aged 27; Odinaka Onyeforo, aged 37; and Ndukwe Chukwu, aged 50, facing allegations of conspiracy, impersonation, and forgery.

TrackNews Media reports that under the supervision of Erinma Maduagwu, the court located in the Aba South local government area of Abia was informed that the defendants purportedly engaged in the unauthorized creation and distribution of Powers of Attorney, a privilege reserved for legal professionals by forging the signatures of both living and deceased attorneys.

The accused were reportedly operating from locations 2F and 2J Pound Road Extension in Aba.

As detailed in the charge sheet, Ikechukwu was apprehended with more than 70 forged Powers of Attorney, utilizing stolen letterheads and legal stamps belonging to deceased lawyers.

The Prosecutor, Uzoamaka Emmanuel, emphasized that these actions contravened Sections 516A(a), 484, and 465, which are punishable under Section 467(1)(b) of the Criminal Code of Abia State.

The defendants were accused of impersonating licensed surveyors and legal practitioners, preparing fraudulent legal documents under the names of Van Abakwuo, Mr. Izuchukwu Onyeoma, and Joshua Onyekachi Emele ESQ, thereby falsely claiming legal representation for unnamed clients.

Upon entering their pleas, the defendants declared not guilty to the charges, leading the magistrate to schedule a bail hearing for October 25.

Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aba branch, Charles Oluchukwu, condemned the alleged activities, saying, “These perpetrators have truly dealt with us (lawyers). The Bar passed a resolution that such individuals caught should be prosecuted, and some of our colleagues who are aiding them in signing those documents should be reported to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee in Abuja for prosecution, with the possibility of having their licenses withdrawn.”

Oluchukwu also revealed that a five-member Anti-Fake Lawyers and Car Stickers Committee, led by Uchenna Ejiogu, has been formed to tackle the menace.

“The public should desist from patronising these quacks because most of the Powers of Attorney they purportedly prepare are defective. We shall begin prosecuting those who patronise them,” he stated.

He further urged computer operators to refrain from engaging in illegal practices with unlicensed individuals, warning, “We will not spare anyone involved.”