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By Daniel Adaji
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has suspended an Abuja-based lawyer, Everestus Chinedu Ugwuowo, for five years over his role in a fraudulent property transaction involving N29m.
According to a certified copy of the judgment labeled BB/LPDC/520/2021 obtained by Pointblanknews.com on Monday, the LPDC found Mr. Ugwuowo guilty of “infamous conduct in the course of the performance of his professional duties.”
The Committee ruled that the lawyer, who had presented himself as a Notary Public and legal practitioner of over 15 years, collected the sum in September 2017 under the guise of purchasing a four-bedroom duplex located at House No. 11, 662 Road, Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja. The transaction was backed by a letter on his law firm’s official letterhead dated 14th September 2017.
However, after receiving the money, Ugwuowo failed to deliver the property or provide a refund to the buyer, who later petitioned the LPDC.
“In the course of the proceedings, the Respondent admitted to collecting the funds but neither refunded the sum nor effected the purchase of the property,” the judgment stated.
In a twist, the actual property owner, Grema Muhammed Umar, later disowned the transaction and told the Committee that he never authorized Ugwuowo or any other individual to sell the house.
The LPDC found this act to be a clear violation of Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2023) and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act, Cap. L11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).
The Committee ordered:
“Mr. Everestus Chinedu Ugwuowo, Esq. with Enrolment No. SCN042446, be suspended from legal practice in Nigeria for a period of five (5) years from the date of the order.”
“The Respondent must refund the sum of N29,000,000 to the Applicant within 30 days.”
To ensure enforcement, the LPDC directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to record the suspension in the Roll of Legal Practitioners and mandated that the decision be published in the Federal Government Gazette.
Further instructions included notifying the Chief Justice of Nigeria, President of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judges of various courts across the country, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Attorneys-General of the 36 states. Copies were also to be sent to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President and the Inspector-General of Police.
“The entire Judgment encompassing the Direction should be brought to the attention of their lordships,” the Committee said, adding that it should also be served on the NBA’s National Executive Committee and General Council of the Bar.
Efforts to reach Mr. Ugwuowo for comments proved abortive, as he did not respond to several calls placed to his phonelines.