Committee opens hearing of petitions against 20 lawyers

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee in Abuja on Monday commenced hearing of petitions against 20 lawyers over alleged misconduct.
Those with cases at the committee include A.R Maduabuchi, A. A. Ibebunjo, Olawale Ojoge-Daniel, G.C. Monyei, Temiday Eseyin, G.T. Ahembe, Azubike Okeke, Chikwendu Kalu, M.D. Ndupu and Lanre Kareem.
Others are Bisi Oyinloye, Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), Babatunde Shonekan, Anthony Ojigho, I.O. Harrison, Adekunle Suleiman, Remi Onifade, Gabriel Gbenoba, George Adiele and Ola ogunbiyi.
The rest are Akintunde Oyetunde, Olu Dairo, Victor Nwoye, Chidi Uburu and Imoh Golden.
Olawole Ajoge-Daniel, who was suspended for five years and G.C. Monyei, earlier dismissed, had approached the committee with a motion for re-hearing of petitions brought against them.
The Nigeria Bar Association is the complainant in all the matters.
The Chairman of the committee, Joe Daudu (SAN), fixed July 18 to deliver judgment on the petitions against Ahembe, Okeke and Kalu.
The chairman reserved the date after parties adopted their written addresses.
Ahembe of Kender Chambers, 30, J.S. Tarka Way, Gboko, Benue State is accused of converting N4.5 million belonging to his client, Dr. Terlumun Numbeve, to personal use.
On the other hand, Okeke is standing trial for using his office as Deputy Director of Public Prosecution in Anambra State in 2002 to unlawfully meddle with the administration of late Sylvester Agu’s estate.
Kalu, in the course of his practice in 2007, allegedly defrauded Chief Nze Nwankpa of N1.2 million, being money meant for payment of a property at 2, Okorocha Avenue, Umungasi, Aba, Abia State, the NBA said.
Jubril Okutepa (SAN), the lead counsel to the NBA, said all the respondents violated sections of the Legal Practitioners Act 1990 as amended.
The LPDC on May 10 directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to strike off the names of four lawyers from the legal practitioners register.
The committee held that the decision arose from findings that the respondents were guilty of misconduct.
The affected lawyers were Dominic Ntiero, Timipa Okponipere, G.C. Monyei and J.A. Agwuncha.