Alleged misconduct: LPDC refuses to dismiss petition against SAN, two others
Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee Denies Dismissal of Petition Against Three Lawyers
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has declined a request to dismiss a petition against Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN, along with Barrister Smart Ukpanah and Barrister Hope Onyekwere.
During a recent session, which was presided over by Mr. Kalu Umeh, SAN, Ezechukwu’s attorney, Barrister D. O. Okolo, requested the committee to dismiss the petition, citing that the petitioner, Kingsley Aneubuna, intended to withdraw it. Okolo noted that Aneubuna had submitted a letter indicating his desire to withdraw the petition and argued that the withdrawal should be acknowledged, especially given the petitioner’s absence at the session.
“The petitioner forwarded a letter notifying the committee of the intention to withdraw the petition. The petitioner is fully aware of the proceedings yet is not present before the panel,” Okolo stated.
However, the LPDC panel rejected the request, asserting that once proceedings have commenced, petitions cannot be withdrawn. The committee noted that issues have already been joined in the case, making withdrawal impossible.
The proceedings have been adjourned to July 29, 2026, for a definitive hearing.
The petition arises from a dispute over a property involving Ngozika Nwaneri and Uche Okoli, along with his company, Multishelters Limited, as claimants in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1182/2018 – Uche Okoli & Ors v. EFCC & Ors. The conflict centers on a plot of land located at Plot No. 713, Cadastral Zone B14, Dutse District, Abuja, where Okoli’s clients and Dr. Nwaneri are asserting their claim to the property.
Reportedly, in 2018, the petitioner was offered a terrace duplex on the disputed land for N51,000,000. Prior to making this payment, she and her attorney sought confirmation on the property’s status from Ezechukwu, receiving assurances regarding its clean title.
Following these assurances, the petitioner accepted the offer, made the required payment, and both parties signed an agreement for the transaction. The agreement stipulated a completion period of about two years during which the petitioner was to finalize all payments. However, she later expressed concerns about the slow progress of construction and was reassured that the property would still be delivered within the expected timeframe.
In 2021, the petitioner learned of ongoing litigation regarding the property, linked to Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1182/2018, filed by Ezechukwu in March 2018, in which a court injunction was granted. The petitioner also found that she had been included as a co-claimant in this suit without her knowledge, a move carried out by Barrister Smart Ukpanah, who represented her and other subscribers without authorization. Additionally, Barrister Hope Onyekwere testified on her behalf without consent.
After becoming aware of these developments, the petitioner engaged a lawyer to petition the court to have her name removed from the suit and subsequently filed a complaint against the three lawyers with the LPDC under petition No. BB/LPDC/760/2022, requesting an investigation into alleged misconduct by the respondents.