Farmer sentenced to 1year in prison for impersonation, forgery

A Makurdi Chief Magistrates' Court on Tuesday sentenced a 42-year-old farmer, Boniface Ikyernum, to one year's imprisonment for impersonating a lawyer and forging his documents.

Ikyernum, who resides at Luga Mbatiav, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue, was charged with impersonation and forgery.

The police prosecutor, Insp. Godwin Ato, told the court that the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi branch, Maimuna Ikwulono, reported the matter at the State CID via a petition dated Nov. 8, 2022.

In the petition, the defendant, who is not a legal practitioner, was accused of presenting himself as a lawyer bearing the names S.T. Akohol, Esq., and J.S. Okutekpa, SAN, of J.S. Okutekpa, SAN, & Co.

The complainant added that Ikyernum also forged a letter, seal, and signature of the said legal practitioners, which he submitted to his tenant, one Miss Lucy Terungwa, without lawful justification.

Ato informed the court that the accused was later arrested and had confessed to the crime.

The prosecutor said that the offenses contravened Sections 181 and 365 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue, 2004.

Supreme reports that Ikyernum has pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Roseline Iyorshe, sentenced him to one year's imprisonment without the option of a fine.