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| Credits – Google |
Scenarios.
- Mr. Alex was apprehended by the Police last Tuesday
for impersonating an officer, he was seen extorting money from commercial motor
cycle riders and when asked to identify himself, it was revealed that he was
actually a fraud.
- Mr. Segun Chinedu Ibrahim has fraudulently
put himself out as a lawyer and was fraudulently representing clients in court,
upon suspicion and investigation, he was arrested and charged with impersonation.
The law
To impersonate another is wrong. The Oxford
dictionary defines the word “impersonate” as “ the act of pretending to be
someone else”. The law frowns on impersonation because the aim of the act is usually
to deceive another in to believing someone is who he really is not. A clear
example includes the arrest and prosecution of several persons who were
pretending to be lawyers, policemen or members of the armed forces.
dictionary defines the word “impersonate” as “ the act of pretending to be
someone else”. The law frowns on impersonation because the aim of the act is usually
to deceive another in to believing someone is who he really is not. A clear
example includes the arrest and prosecution of several persons who were
pretending to be lawyers, policemen or members of the armed forces.
In Nigeria, like most other legal jurisdictions,
impersonation is a crime and duly provided for in our Criminal Code Act in
Chapter 46. Section 484 in this chapter provides that – Any person who, with
intent to defraud any person, falsely represents himself to be some other
person, living or dead, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment
for three years. Similarly, as provided in Section 487 of the Act, any person
whom a document has been giving to certify him for some certain privileges and
proceeds to give such document to another with the intention that the other
person presents himself as qualified to bear such document is guilty of a
felony and liable to imprisonment for 3 years. For instance, a policeman who
gives his official identity card to another person to use in impersonating the
police officer is guilty of the above offence.
impersonation is a crime and duly provided for in our Criminal Code Act in
Chapter 46. Section 484 in this chapter provides that – Any person who, with
intent to defraud any person, falsely represents himself to be some other
person, living or dead, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment
for three years. Similarly, as provided in Section 487 of the Act, any person
whom a document has been giving to certify him for some certain privileges and
proceeds to give such document to another with the intention that the other
person presents himself as qualified to bear such document is guilty of a
felony and liable to imprisonment for 3 years. For instance, a policeman who
gives his official identity card to another person to use in impersonating the
police officer is guilty of the above offence.
On the other hand, any person who, with the
purpose of obtaining any employment, utters any document of the nature of a testimonial
or character given to another person, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable
to imprisonment for 2 years (Section 488). Persons who lend out their
certificates to others for the use of impersonation are also not excluded from
punishment as such person is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is liable to
imprisonment for three years.
purpose of obtaining any employment, utters any document of the nature of a testimonial
or character given to another person, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable
to imprisonment for 2 years (Section 488). Persons who lend out their
certificates to others for the use of impersonation are also not excluded from
punishment as such person is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is liable to
imprisonment for three years.
Adedunmade OnibokunEsq
@adedunmade
dunmadeo@yahoo.com