*As Magistrate Demands Bar Certificates
Eight Lagos lawyers have landed in trouble for allegedly quarreling and scrambling for clients at the Court premises. They were eventually arrested by the Police and later arraigned before the Court for constituting public nuisance.
The lawyers were Idowu Okuwanne, f, 41, Opara Chinwe, f, 47, Moses Akpasubi, m, 51, Jolly Ogbuefi, m, 49, Adebayo Olowofela, m, 39, Kayode Akintau, m, 45, Celine Nwosu, f, 41, and Olawale Olayinka, f, 59.
They were arraigned before the Ilori Magistrate Court in the Ogba area of Lagos before the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. M.I. Tanimola, for conspiracy and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace under the Criminal Laws of the State.
The incident happened on 20th December, 2024, at the premises of the Ilori Magistrate Court.
According to the Police, the lawyers constituted nuisance at the Court premises and the matter was reported to the Police at Pen Cinema Division, who rounded them up and charged them before the Court.
They risk going to prison if they are tried and found guilty before the Court for the alleged two count charges.
The charges read:
“That you, IDOWU OKUWANNE “F”, OPARA CHINWE “F”, MOSES AKPASUBI “M”, JOLLY OGBUEFI “M”, ADEBAYO OLOWOFELA “M”, KAYODE AKINTAU “M”, CELINE NWOSU “F” and OLAWALE OLAYINKA “F” on the 20th day of December, 2024 at about 11:00hrs at Ilori Court Premises, Ogba, Lagos in the Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit conduct likely to cause the breach of peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”
COUNT II: “That you, IDOWU OKUWANNE “F”, OPARA CHINWE “F”, MOSES AKPASUBI “M”, JOLLY OGBUEFI “M”, ADEBAYO OLOWOFELA “M”, KAYODE AKINTAU “M”, CELINE NWOSU “F” and OLAWALE OLAYINKA “F” on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by shouting and constituting nuisance at the premises of the Ilori Court and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 168 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”
However, they pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor, Inspector Lucky Ihiehie, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since they pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that they actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Tanimola, granted them bail on recognition and ordered them to produce their certificates before the Court to prove that they were actually lawyers and called to the Bar. The Court also ordered them to sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour and subsequently adjourned the matter to 16th January, 2025, for mention.