A medical doctor, Bissong Peter, 46, of phase 1, Gwagwalada, on Tuesday refused? a female?lawyer to enter appearance for him in forgery case at an Abuja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the female lawyer was from Legal Aid Council and was in court for another case when Peter’s case was mentioned.
She stood up to announce her appearance when the Peter signalled to her that he did not need a lawyer.
Prosecutor John Ijoga told the court that the convict was arrested on Oct. 4, by the security guard at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Ijoga said that the accused impersonated a staff of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) by forging NIM’s identity card.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Sections 364 and 179 of the Penal Code.
Peter pleaded guilty to the offence, saying: “it was my first time and I did it because I needed “to network’’ in the conference.
“Kneeling down in the court room, the convict pleaded to court to tamper justice with mercy.
“I have spent 15 years as a medical doctor and a one-time national award winner for my medical team.
“I am married man, a father of two, my dad is late and my old mother is sick in the village,’’ he claimed.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Azubike Okeagwu, said that the court in the plea of the convict ??observed that Peter appeared remorseful.
Okeagwu said that because the accused did not waste the court’s time before pleading guilty, he would tamper justice with mercy.
He, therefore, sentenced the medical doctor to 24 months imprisonment on the two count charges with an option of N10, 000 fines.
The court said the convict would serve 12 months for forgery and another 12 months for impersonation or N5,000 fines on each of the ?count.
Okeagwu, however, warned the convict to desist from such disgraceful and criminal acts and work hard on his profession as he would not be forgiven next time. (NAN)