Court Lifts Sanction On Senior Advocate, Clears Him Of LPDC Referral
The Federal High Court in Abuja has vacated its previous order referring Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Adeola Adedipe, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for investigation and possible sanctions. The court had initially issued the referral in connection with Adedipe’s role in a money laundering case involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite found merit in Adedipe’s motion to set aside the referral, agreeing that the senior lawyer had shown “integrity and decency” in his handling of the case. Justice Nwite acknowledged that Adedipe had formally withdrawn his representation for Bello on June 28, 2024, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, had not opposed this withdrawal.
The initial July 17 order, which included a referral for both Adedipe and fellow SAN Abdulwahab Mohammed, was issued in response to alleged conduct issues related to the defense in Bello’s money laundering case. However, Adedipe argued that his voluntary withdrawal from the case demonstrated compliance and good conduct. The EFCC counsel, Mr. Pinheiro, concurred, affirming Adedipe’s professionalism.
“It is not in dispute that Mr. Adedipe applied to withdraw his appearance on June 27, 2024, and formally filed a notice of withdrawal the next day,” Justice Nwite noted, highlighting the EFCC’s support for the application. “The applicant has shown good conduct with Exhibit A, warranting reconsideration of the July 17 order.”
Citing “material and exceptional reasons,” Justice Nwite ruled to exclude Adedipe’s name from the referral to the LPDC, thus clearing him of any disciplinary investigation related to the case.
