The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has sactioned four legal practitioners; Abikoye Opeyemi Timothy, Jonathan Chinedu Nwagwu, Edward Osaghale and Cyprian Obiora Ifeanyi Agwuna who were found guilty of various professional misconducts.
By notices issued under on 13 August, 2024, the Committee, announced the sanctions against each of the four lawyers as follows:
Jonathan Chinedu Nwagwu with Enrolment No. SCN052392, was suspended for three years and ordered to refund ₦1,947,043.70 (One Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand, Forty-Three Naira, Seventy Kobo) and an additional ₦500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to the applicant within 28 days of the directive.
The order followed the resolution of a case against him on April 24, 2024
Edward Oseghale with Enrolment No. SCN073464, was suspended for two years from legal practice following the resolution of a case against him on May 8, 2023
Cyprian Obiora Ifeanyi Agwuna with Enrolment No. SCN005675 was suspended from Legal Practice for two years following the determination of a case against him on February 20, 2024
Abikoye Opeyemi Timothy with Enrolment No. SCN034372 had his name struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners; Abikoye was in addition ordered to refund N2, 359, 000 to the Petitioner.
A legal notice was issued to key judicial and legal authorities, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Chief Judges of the Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, and High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The notice also extended to the Grand Khadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal and the Presidents of Customary Courts of Appeal of both the Federal Capital Territory and the states of the Federation.
The Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court has been directed to enforce the suspension of Cyprian Obiora Ifeanyi Agwuna, prohibiting him from engaging in legal practice for a period of two years.
The directive was given on August 13, 2024, under the authority of Hon. Justice Dr Ishaq Bello, OFR, Chairman of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
Members of the legal profession were urged to take notice of these directions by the LPDC.