The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Tuesday that it has begun investigating a suspected fake lawyer, John Anoruo, for allegedly using a forged seal of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos.

In a statement on Tuesday, EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said operatives of the commission arrested Mr Anoruo on Monday in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, where he runs a legal and educational consultancy.

Mr Oyewale said the investigation was triggered by a petition dated 22 September 2025, which Mr Anoruo submitted to the EFCC on behalf of his clients against the management of Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited.

He said further inquiries showed that both the petition and a subsequent letter of withdrawal dated 5 March bore what investigators identified as a forged NBA seal.

According to the EFCC, the suspect admitted obtaining the seal from an undisclosed business centre in Lagos.

The commission also said the 55-year-old claimed he obtained a law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 2018 through evening classes but did not attend the Nigerian Law School, a mandatory requirement for legal practice in Nigeria.

The EFCC said the suspect would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

Similar incident

The development comes amid growing concerns over cases of impersonation within Nigeria’s legal profession.

In January last year, the Lagos State Police Command arrested a suspected fake lawyer, Godwin Eguabor, while he was representing a client before a magistrate court in the Badagry area of Lagos.

The vice-chairman of the NBA, Badagry branch in Lagos State, Atule Elchors, said the suspect aroused suspicion when he announced his appearance as counsel in court.

“I stood up and told the court that the person who appeared before the magistrate is not a legal practitioner,” he said.

“And that we have been looking out for him.

“We asked for his Supreme Court number, which is the enrollment number of every lawyer, but he could not answer; he was just telling us stories.

“The worst thing is that the name he is using in court is different from the name he gave the police when they came to arrest him,” Mr Elchors added.

The police subsequently charged Mr Eguabor with impersonation.

The prosecutor, Edet Ekpo, told the court that the offence contravened Section 380 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

EFCC investigates suspected fake lawyer using forged NBA seal

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