Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee Fines Lawyer N200,000 For Delaying Hearing
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has imposed a fine of N200,000 on lawyer, A. O. Amagwula for causing delays in the hearing of a petition against his client, Stella Oyiogu.
The ruling was delivered by the LPDC Chairman, retired Justice Is’haq Bello, after Amagwula informed the committee that he was unprepared to proceed with the hearing.
The petition against Oyiogu was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Barewa Old Boys Association in 2021, accusing her of fraudulently representing the alumni body in a land dispute at the FCT High Court without authorisation. The allegations included claims that she had filed a defence on behalf of the association but later abandoned the case, resulting in a judgment against them.
In her defence, Oyiogu claimed she was engaged by Ibrahim Salmanu, who she said was an attorney for the alumni body. She also asserted that the land in question had been revoked in 2005 without challenge from the association.
However, the alumni association denied Salmanu’s representation and stated that they had not received any notice regarding the land’s revocation since it was allocated to them in 1983. They further contended that their title to the land had never been revoked.
During the hearing, Amagwula argued that he could not proceed because his client and others were already facing criminal charges related to the same land at an FCT High Court. He expressed his intention to file a preliminary objection and subpoena witnesses but claimed he could not do so as his client was hospitalised.
Initially, Justice Bello directed Amagwula to pay N500,000 for his lack of diligence in handling the case. However, after Amagwula explained that he was representing Oyiogu pro bono as a fellow legal practitioner, the committee reduced the fine to N200,000 out of leniency.
Justice Bello cautioned Amagwula to avoid stalling future proceedings and emphasised the need to assist his client, whose mental well-being has been affected since the petition was filed in 2021. The case has been adjourned until March 11 for further hearing.
