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JUDICIARY

Olanipekun Warns Lawyers against using Disciplinary Committee to Settle Personal Scores

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The Chairman, Body of Benchers (BOB), Mr Wole Olanipekun, SAN, has advised lawyers not to see the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) as a forum for settling scores with imaginary enemies.

Olanipekun made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the Call to Bar ceremony for 1,491 new lawyers, held by the BOB  at its secretariat in Jabi.

According to Olanipekun, the LPDC, as an independent agency of the BOB, serves solely as an avenue through which it exercises the power to discipline any erring legal practitioner.

“Over the years, the LPDC, has continued to operate as an independent arbiter, enjoying absolute independence in the course of carrying out its assignment.

“The Body of Benchers does not and will not interfere with any of the proceedings or outcome of such proceedings before the LPDC.

“It is important to point out that the LPDC is not an avenue for dealing with perceived enemies or ventilation of grievances against fellow lawyers on personal issues.

“The decision of the LPDC is known as direction, and any appeal against the direction goes directly to the Supreme Court,” he said.

He said the body was concerned over what he described as  the unethical practice of forum shopping and hinted of plans to evolve regulations to address the problem.

“You are no doubt aware of the disturbing trend of forum shopping in Nigeria, a very reprehensible conduct introduced to the practice of law recently.

“This is the act whereby litigants and legal practitioners shop for ‘friendly venues and judexes’ to file and litigate otherwise frivolous and questionable causes, purportedly arising out of the jurisdictions where the actions are eventually filed, pursued and prosecuted.

“This ugly practice is permeating the entire Nigerian legal landscape, leading to the churning out, on regular basis, of conflicting orders and decisions of courts of coordinate jurisdictions.

“As a result of this, the legal profession is being brought to disrepute and opprobrium, leading to tirades, venoms and uncomplimentary remarks and sentences being passed on the legal profession and some of our judges.

“Be informed that the BOB, by virtue of the powers conferred on it by Section 10 (1)(c) of the Legal Practitioners Act has now set up a regulations committee, empowered to make regulations for the decent practice of law in Nigeria.”

He also said the committee had submitted a draft regulation to the BOB and the regulations, when approved, would become binding on all legal practitioners.

This, he said would restrict them to initiating and filing causes and matters where the said causes of action arise or as provided by the rules of the adjudicating courts.

“Just as it is provided under the Matrimonial Causes Rules, lawyers will be required to sign and file certain forms and documents, indicating compliance with the regulations before filing any originating process at trial courts.

“Any infraction or breach of the regulations would amount to professional misconduct,” Olanipekun said.

The senior lawyer who is a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), stressed the need for lawyers to always uphold the time-tested morals and ethical standards of the legal profession.

“I admonish you all to carefully and soberly go through the provisions of the rules of professional conduct in the legal profession, as the rules regulate all your conducts

“Be it as a practicing lawyer in private legal practice or in any of our various ministries of justice, or as a solicitor, working in any private establishment, institution, company, organization or body.

“You should not assume that the rules are meant to regulate and control legal practitioners in what is commonly known as ‘active legal practice’ or the private Bar.

 He added that adherence to the rules was a condition precedent to success at the bar and the legal profession.

“ I plead with you, as you join the bar, to always strive at being an added value to the nobility, honour, dignity and respect of the profession, rather than coming to deplete and discount the established virtues the profession has stood for over the ages.”

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu-Chiroma said that the ceremony had to be shifted from  Bwari to the BOB complex due to threats by terrorists and bandits to attack the Law School.

He said that the graduands had been found worthy in character and in learning hence their induction into the Nigerian Bar as  lawyers.

Ciroma appreciated the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector -General of Police, Director- General of State Security Services (DSS,) Civil Defense Commandant and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for providing adequate security. (NAN)

JUDICIARY

Court Remands Landlord for Alleged Defilement of Tenant’s Daughter

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Federal High Courts
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A family court sitting at Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Tuesday ordered the remand of one Musibau Lamidi, 50, for alleged defilement of his tenant’s six-year-old daughter.

The Magistrate, Mrs S. A . Adesina, ordered that the landlord should be kept at the Agodi custodial facility pending advice from Oyo State  Director of Public Prosecutions.

Adesina did not take the landlord’s plea.

She adjourned the case until April 25 for mention.

Reports says that Musibau, a resident of Olode, Ibadan, was charged on one-count of defilement.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Gbemisola Adedeji, told the court that the defendant, on March 13, between 8. 00 a.

m. and 4.00 p.m.  defiled his tenant’s daughter.

Adedeji said that Musibau had an issue with the child’s mother and asked her to pack out.

The prosecutor said that when the woman went to look for a house to rent, the defendant defiled  her daughter.

She said that the offence contravened Section 34 of the Oyo State Child Right’s
Law of 2006. (NAN)

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JUDICIARY

4 Friends Docked for Allegedly Threatening Cleric’s Life

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Court Sentences Applicant to 6 Months in Prison for Stealing Cell Phone
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Four friends were on Monday docked in a Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in  Ibadan for allegedly threatening the life of  pastor Charles Gold.

The police charged Olatunji Musibau, 44;Abiodun Folarin, 50; Kazeem Oluremi, 60 and Yusuf Sodiq, 23, with conspiracy and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Philip Amusan, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offence on March 8, at about 2 p.

m., at New Bodija Area in Ibadan.

Amusan alleged that the defendants and others at large, threatened violence against pastor Gold, of Echo Evangelical Ministry Ibadan.

He said the offence contravened the probisions of sections 516 and 383 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Court President, Mrs Moji Aworemi, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N150, 000 each and one surety each in like sum.

Aworemi held that the surety must be a blood relation to the defendants.

She adjourned the case until April 29, for mention. (NAN)

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JUDICIARY

2 Teenagers in Court for Allegedly Stealing Sewing Machine

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Two teenagers, Simor Aaron, 19, and Francis David, 18, were arraigned on Wednesday before a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a sewing machine and other items worth N325,000.

The defendants, both residents of High-Cost Narayi, Kaduna, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, to which they pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Insp Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on March 11, at Barnawa Kaduna.

According to Leo, the duo burgled a tailoring shop of one Gladys Peter and stole her sewing machine, six wrappers, and four clothing materials all valued at N325,000.

The prosecutor stated that the defendants were caught and handed over to the police by members of the vigilante group on patrol in the area.

Leo said that the offences contravened Sections 281 and 217 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017, which stipulates a three-year jail term for stealing and two years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum, who must be gainfully employed.

Emmanuel adjourned the case until April 22, for hearing. (NAN)

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