UNICAL Dean, Ndifon Accuses ICPC Lawyer Of Unlawful Practice
The suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, has brought a startling revelation to the Federal High Court in Abuja, claiming that the lawyer representing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is not officially registered to practice law in Nigeria.
Prof. Ndifon’s assertion, made during proceedings related to his trial on amended charges of alleged sexual harassment and gratification, hinges on Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act, which mandates that practicing lawyers must be listed on the roll of legal practitioners in the country.
In addition to questioning the status of the ICPC’s legal representative, Dr. Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the defendants also pointed fingers at their own lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, alleging that he had harassed the ICPC’s key witness and encouraged her to ignore the commission’s summons.
Appearing alongside Dr. Akponimisingha for the ICPC is Joshua Alobo.
A motion on notice filed by the suspended dean’s legal representative, Joe Agi (SAN), called for the court to dismiss the charges against them, citing the purported incompetence of the amended charges and the status of the ICPC’s legal counsel.
The motion argued that Dr. Akponimisingha’s involvement in the case is legally questionable, as his name does not appear on the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria. It also called for disciplinary action against both Dr. Akponimisingha and Joshua Alobo for allegedly misrepresenting their academic qualifications.
The defendants seek an order from the court to strike out the amended charges and to refer both Dr. Akponimisingha and Joshua Alobo to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for their actions.
