Abuja: The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has postponed the hearing of a petition concerning allegations of professional misconduct against Mr Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN, and two other lawyers, to July 29.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the committee’s decision to adjourn follows its rejection of an application by Mr D. O. Okolo, the counsel representing Ezechukwu. Okolo sought the dismissal of the petition on the basis that Mr Kingsley Aneubuna, who lodged the complaint, had expressed a desire to withdraw it. Despite Aneubuna’s intentions and awareness of the proceedings, he did not appear before the panel.
Documents obtained by NAN reveal that Aneubuna filed the complaint against Ezechukwu, along with Smart Ukpanah and Hope Onyekwere, citing allegations of professional misconduct, criminal misrepresentation, forgery, and perjury.
During the committee meeting chaired by Mr Kalu Umeh, Okolo advocated for the petition’s dismissal, emphasizing that the petitioner had communicated his intent to retract the complaint and was aware of the ongoing proceedings, yet opted not to attend.
In his ruling, Umeh dismissed the application, highlighting that the committee’s regulations disallow the withdrawal of petitions once issues have been formally joined. “Since issues have been joined, we are obligated by the rules of this committee to adopt the processes filed by the petitioner,” Umeh stated.
The panel has rescheduled the case for a definitive hearing on July 29.
NAN reports that the root of the petition lies in a contentious property transaction involving Ngozika Nwaneri, Uche Okoli, and Multi Shelters Ltd. The dispute pertains to Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1182/2018, which concerns Plot No. 713, Cadastral Zone B14, Dutse District, Abuja. According to the petition, the petitioner was offered a terrace duplex on the disputed land in 2018 by Okoli and Multi Shelters Ltd. for N51 million.
Before proceeding with the payment, both the petitioner and her lawyer allegedly sought confirmation from Ezechukwu regarding the property’s status and received assurances of its clear and unencumbered title. Based on these assurances, the petitioner accepted the offer, completed the necessary payments, and formalized an agreement for the transaction.
The petition claims that the house was expected to be completed within approximately two years, during which the petitioner was to finalize all payments. However, the petitioner later noticed a slow pace of work and sought clarification, receiving further assurances that the property would be delivered as agreed.
In 2021, the petitioner purportedly discovered that the property was already embroiled in litigation in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1182/2018, filed in March 2018. The petition further alleges that Justice Hussein Yusuf had granted an injunction in the case in 2018.
The petitioner also claims she was added as a co-claimant in the suit without her knowledge or consent by Ukpanah, who allegedly filed court processes and represented her and other subscribers without authorization.
Further allegations include Onyekwere’s unauthorized testimony in court on behalf of the petitioner and others. Additionally, the petition accuses Ezechukwu of presenting a forged version of the agreement between his clients and the petitioner, asserting that the document contained a forged signature and was backdated to 2012 instead of 2018, when the genuine agreement was executed.
The petitioner maintains that both agreements, genuine and forged, were crafted by Ezechukwu, who allegedly was aware of the ongoing litigation over the property in 2018 at the time of the sale.
The petition further contends that the petitioner was misled into purchasing the property based on fraudulent representations by Ezechukwu and his clients. Eventually, the petitioner retained another lawyer to remove her name from the suit and subsequently filed Petition No. BB/LPDC/760/2022 against the respondents.
The petitioner has called upon the LPDC to investigate the respondents, all of whom are legal practitioners admitted to the Nigerian Bar, for alleged misconduct.