The Police in Zaria has arraigned one Fatima Ibrahim, at a Chediya Magistrates’ Court, sitting at GRA Zaria, Kaduna State, for impersonation.
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, despite having not been trained as one.
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 of the Penal Code.
Fatima confessed before Chief Magistrate Judge Awwal Musa of committing the offence and said that certain circumstances made her to do so.
However, the accused immediately retracted her guilty plea shortly after the prosecutor applied for her summary trial under Section 157 of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).
Her 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 tampers with the reputation and credibility of members of the bar profession, therefore, we are all affected,” he said.
He adjourned the case till November 15 for hearing.
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