“Remove That Wig”: Judge Orders Arrest of Alleged Fake Lawyer in Lagos Court
Drama unfolded at a Lagos courtroom after a judge ordered the arrest of a man accused of posing as a lawyer while appearing to represent a client.
The incident was captured in a video circulating on social media and showed the man dressed in a lawyer’s wig and gown before the judge questioned his status as a legal practitioner.
The judge, apparently convinced that the man was not a qualified lawyer, ordered him to remove his wig and directed the police to take him into custody.
“Remove that your wig. I’m ordering for his arrest right away. Police, arrest him!” the judge was heard saying in the video shared on X by a user identified as Chuks Eric on Thursday, September 3.
The situation became more dramatic as the alleged fake lawyer appeared to attempt to leave the courtroom following the judge’s order, according to reports accompanying the footage.
The judge subsequently referred to the man as an impostor and again instructed the police to arrest him.
“Officer, there’s an impostor here. This man is not a lawyer. Remove your wig and gown. You are not a lawyer. I want you to arrest him,” the judge said.
The video has since generated reactions online, with many viewers commenting on the unusual courtroom drama and the apparent attempt by the man to represent a client despite allegedly not being a legal practitioner.
However, details surrounding the man’s identity, the identity of the client he was allegedly representing and the specific proceedings that led to the confrontation were not immediately clear from the viral footage.
The incident comes amid renewed attention on the problem of legal impersonation in Nigeria. In a separate case reported in August, the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja convicted 55-year-old John Nwawuto Anoruo for impersonating a legal practitioner and possessing a forged Nigerian Bar Association seal.
While it is not clear whether the man in the latest viral video is connected to that case, the development has again drawn attention to the importance of verifying the credentials of individuals appearing as legal practitioners in Nigerian courts.
For now, the viral footage has left social media users focused on the dramatic moment the judge interrupted the proceedings with a blunt instruction: “Remove that your wig.”