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Tag: Lawyer

  • Lawyer’s death: Imo inaugurates Coroner’s inquest

    The Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chukwuma- Machukwu Ume (SAN), has said the government has taken steps to unravel the mystery behind the sudden death of a lawyer, Appollos Nduka Anyille.

    Ume spoke at the valedictory court session held in honour of the late member of the state’s House of Assembly, Mrs. Eudora Igwe, a lawyer, who died, describing the late Mrs. Igwe as “a strategic thinker, brilliant, innovative, creative visionary and a good lawyer.”

    He said the state government has constituted a coroner’s inquest to help unravel the circumstances that led to Anyille’s death. Anyille’s lifeless body was found in the pool of his blood in his bedroom on October 16, last year. He was the immediate past Secretary of the Orlu Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

    The Attorney-General said the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has appointed a lawyer, Chuzzy Attama, as the Coroner to undertake the task of investigating Anyille’s death

    “The inquest is on now. From information so far available, the Coroner is professionally doing the state proud in the way and manner he is carrying on with the inquest. I request all to please, co-operate with him,” Ume said.

    On the importance of the inquest, Ume said the Coroner’s report, when submitted, will assist the state in reviewing “some salient occurrences that should make each of us live in a safer environment”.

    He noted the late Mrs Igwe was always forthright and “never left one in doubt about where she stood on issues”, recalling that the late Mrs. Igwe distinguished herself as an administrator (during her tenure as the Chairman of Ideator North Local Government).

    He said the late Mrs. Igwe was elected in 2011 as a member of Imo State House of Assembly, representing Ideator North State Constituency.

    “Her service in Imo State House of Assembly is an eloquent testimony to the fact that she left a legacy of excellence of service marked with courage, discipline, integrity and great industry,” Ume said.

    The Attorney-General canvassed the establishment of a Legal Practitioners Exigency Fund to cushion the effect on dependents where a lawyer died suddenly or suffered any other form of disaster.

  • Assault: Lawyer seeks order to review DPP’s advice

    Assault: Lawyer seeks order to review DPP’s advice

    A Lagos lawyer, Destiny Takon, has  petitioned the Lagos State   Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye over a legal advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP)  in an assault case involving Keneth Agbaraku. He is asking for order to review the DPP’s advice.

    The DPP ordered an assault case instituted by his client, Mrs Gladys Ifeyinwa Caza, be struck out and discontinued.

    But Takon, a principal partner in the  law firm of  Destiny Obun Takon & Company,  faulted the legal advice issued by the DPP’s office  involving his client, Mrs Gladys Ifeyinwa Caza,  who is a complainant in an assault case filed against her landlord, Mr. Kenneth Agbaraku.

    He described the advice as improper and argued that the complainant’s statement to the police with photos of her injuries and a witness statement were enough for the prosecution to start the trial.

    The lawyer said the police had filed a criminal charge against Mr Agbaraku before the Igbosere Magistrates Court for allegedly assaulting Mrs Casa while attempting to illegally evict her from his residence in Lekki.

    He claimed that  the criminal charge against Agbaraku was occasioned by an alleged head injuries he allegedly inflicted on Mrs Caza with a thick marble slate in a scuffle during the attempt to evict her.

    He explained that it was on the basis of the formal complaint lodged with the police that Agbaraku was charged to court for assault and subsequently granted bail.

    Takon said a new dimension was introduced into the matter recently when a lawyer from the DPP’s office informed the court that the case had been taken over by the DPP for advice.

    The development, according to him, took place after the trial had suffered several adjournments as a result of defendant’s absence.

    He said he was further shocked when the DPP insisted that the case be struck out due to insufficient evidence to establish the offence of assault.

    He said this was contrary to the DPP’s advise which showed that the police failed to carry out further investigation on the matter as requested by the DPP’s office.

    “In absence of further investigation on the matter to establish a prima facie case, the DPP office advised that the matter be discontinue,” Takon said.

  • Maid, driver ‘kill’ lawyer

    Maid, driver ‘kill’ lawyer

    •Police: we’ll get fleeing suspects

    A notable lawyer and insurance practitioner, Mrs Ola Adeola, has been killed in her Lekki, Lagos home.

    She is the daughter of a former Chief Justice of Ogun State, Justice Ebenezer Craig.

    The slain lawyer was allegedly killed Sunday night by her driver and house maid at her 108, Omisore Lane, Oniru Estate home.

    Her throat was slashed, a source told The Nation.

    Both the driver and housemaid were said to have disappeared, while the victim’s corpse has been deposited at a morgue.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos State Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.

    He, however, said two persons had been arrested in connection with the matter.

    “The report is true and I can confirm to you that we are fully on it. We have arrested two persons and they are in police custody as investigations kicks off full-swing on the orders of the commissioner of police.

    “In fact, following his order, the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba on Lagos Minland,” Nwosu told The Nation.

    He added: “The police are on their toes to arrest two fleeing suspects in connection to the case and the commissioner has mandated us to get everyone involved arrested for prosecution.”

  • Lawyer harps on proper ADR models

    A Lagos  lawyer,  Charles Candide-Johnson (SAN),has urged legal practitioners to develop appropriate alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms for businesses.

    Speaking on the topic, “Contracts are forever” at the maiden Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) Day held in Lagos, Candide-Johnson said businesses must be prepared for disputes that may arise in their transactions.

    He noted that the situation required competent individuals and institutions such as the LCA that have the requisite knowledge and facilities to ensure fast and efficient resolution of disputes while preserving business relationships. This will in turn create value for all concerned.

    Noting the growing appeal of Lagos and Nigeria to local and international investors and businesses, Candide-Johnson expressed concern on lack of adherence to business contracts in particular.

    He said this contrasted  with traditional societies where contracts were generally respected, adding that the time is ripe for the cultural milieu and tendencies of peoples to belie interpretation of contracts by dispute resolution entities to aid sanctity of contracts.

    LCA pioneer president Babajide Ogundipe who represented the incumbent president, Mr. Olasupo Shasore (SAN) gave an overview of LCA’s activities for 2012 and 2013, urging members to commit afresh to LCA’s vision of becoming the preferred arbitral/ADR centre in Africa. This was followed by a presentation of the audited accounts for the two years.

    Speaking earlier, LCA Executive Secretary/CEO Ms. Megha Joshi, , said the Annual General Meeting was in fulfillment of the LCA Law 2009, adding that the “LCA Day” was however designed to “provide an interactive platform where the LCA and ADR can be discussed effectively.”

  • Lawyer fetes friends at son’s call-to-Bar

    Lawyer fetes friends at son’s call-to-Bar

    Lagos-based lawyer, Chief Richard Oma Ahonaruogho and his family treated close friends and associates to a sumptuous dinner last Tuesday in Abuja in celebration of the Call-to-Bar of their first child and son, Etahre.

    Etahre was one of the 3433 Law graduates, called to the Nigerian Bar last week on passing the August 2014 Bar final examinations of the Nigerian Law School (NLS).

    An elated Chief Ahonaruogho, hardly sat for a moment throughout the duration of the event held in a classy restaurant and bar, tucked in the heart of Utako. He moved from one end of the hall to the other, welcoming quests on arrival, and ensuring that those already seated were promptly and well attended to.

    Old tunes played on the background, while guests chatted as they ate and drank. It was not a night of speech making, but of wining, dining and much of photography.

    Almost everyone present, including past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu (SAN) had one or two photo opportunities with Chief Ahonaruogho, his wife and the new lawyer – Etahre, who, like his father, was clad in the traditional Bar dress – black suit, white shirt and a black tie.

    Etahre said he was happy and thanked his parents for organising the event. He promised to positively impact the society with his Law knowledge. His father was filled with joy over his son’s achievement. He prayed the child surpass his achievements.

    Chief Ahonaruogho said: “It is every parent’s joy to see a child pass in vital examinations like the Bar final exams. For my wife, Mojisola and I, who were in the Law School together between 1986 and 1987, seeing our son graduate and pass the Bar exams, is a thing of joy.

    “We give God all the glory. We thank families and friends that have been very supportive. We pray that he will excel and exceed all that we, his mother and I have been able to achieve. He is our first son and first child.

    On controversies created by the mass failure recorded in the last Bar final exams, he said DG having explained what happened, those who failed should work hard and ensure they pass at the next attempt.

    “There is nothing to be ashamed of in failing professional exams. It doesn’t mean that you are not brilliant. It is just that you were not good enough this time. With hard work, you will make it next time,” Chief Ahonaruogho said.

  • FRSC liable to contempt if it imposes fines, says lawyer

    A  Lagos lawyer, Mr Tope Alabi, has said officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are liable for contempt of court if they impose fines on erring motorists.

    The Federal High Court in Lagos had nullified FRSC’s powers to impose fines.

    It held that FRSC’s function “should not go beyond issuance of mere notices of offence.”

    Delivering verdict on a suit filed by Alabi, Justice James Tsoho held that FRSC cannot turn itself into a court of law by punishing those who commit traffic offences.

    The corps reacted to the judgment by saying it has the right to impose fines because the Court of Appeal in another judgment held that the FRSC has statutory and constitutional powers to arrest and detain vehicles of road traffic violators, as well as regulate and set deadline for the usage and renewal of motor vehicle licenses, number plates and driver licenses.

    Alabi, in a statement, said: “The reaction of the FRSC to the judgment of 26 September 2014 delivered by Justice Tsoho is misconceived. All cases it relied upon are distinguishable from my case. The facts and the circumstances are different.

    “In the first place, the fine they imposed on me is higher than what their Act prescribes. Secondly, Section 10(7) of the Act directs FRSC to charge any offender to court. This is our right to be heard.

    “They imposed the fine without listening to me contrary to fair hearing. They held onto my licence for good six months without charging me to court despite repeated visit to their office and various letters that followed.

    “On whether FRSC Act 2007 or Nigerian Roads Traffic Regulation (NRTR 2012) are existing laws and valid, they should wait for my case in Suit No. FHC/CS/L/1233/2013 where I have put in place machinery to demolish the entire Act and Regulation.

    “If FRSC intends to go on appeal as if appeal would cage Nigerians in bondage, we would meet them there.

    “FRSC is a body which imposes fine without hearing out the supposed offenders. Also, most of the cases they celebrated are on number plates and driver’s licences.

    “Anybody arrested and mandated to pay a fine can seek the leave of the court to commence contempt proceedings against the FRSC officers concerned because the judgment in my case is valid and subsisting,” Alabi said.

  • Lawyer alleges discrimination in Ondo teachers’ recruitment

    A lawyer, Femi Emodamori, has threatened to sue Ondo State government over alleged discrimination against non-indigenes in the on-going teachers’ recruitment exercise.

    He alleged that most of the applications submitted by non-indigenes were not treated.

    He has already sent a protest letter to the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to register his displeasure.

    However, the Chairman, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Dr Bakitta Bello, has denied the allegation, saying that it was far from the truth.

    Emodamori noted that the constitution of the country does not allow discrimination against non indigenes in any state, noting that such action violates Section 42 sub-section 1 of the 1999 Constitution.

    He argued that since the applicant’s parents pay taxes into the coffers of the state, they should be given equal rights as indigenes.

    He threatened to institute legal action against the state if necessary quotas are not given to non indigenes who applied for the job.

    However, Dr Bello said there was no iota of truth in the allegation, saying the exercise was thrown open to residents in the state irrespective of their state of origin. He assured that qualified applicants would be employed, adding that the results of the exercise would soon be released and those qualified would be offered employment.

  • Lawyer seeks more females in tennis tournament

    Lawyer seeks more females in tennis tournament

    Co-ordinator of the Lawyers Annual Tennis Championship, Mrs Mfon Usoro, has called on  female lawyers to show interest  in the championship as she promises to make the tournament bigger next year.

    She spoke at the finals of this years’ championship which held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

    Mr. Tunji Abdulhammed and Titilayo Osagie won this year’s Lawyers’ Table Tennis open, known as the Mfom Usoro Cup in both male and female categories.

    Abdulhammed defeated Segun Fabunmi in the two straight sets with 11-1, 11-5 to defend his title in the men’s categories.

    Abdulhammed survived the early scare in the round of 16 when he lost the first set 11-13 to Taiwo Ojediran before he finally won on 11-5, 11-5 to book a quarter final pairing with Shakeer Oshodi.

    The defending champion piped Oshodi 13-11, 5-11, 11-4 to book a semi final ticket. It was a close to call semi-final clash, but Abdulhammed finally had the upper hands and won on 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 to reach the final.

    Titilayo Osagie proved to be undisputable in the women’s category as she easily thrashed her perennial rival, Sisan Eziekpe, who is nursing baby, 11-2, and 11-8, to claim the title for the fourth times in a row.

    Osagie, who drawn bye in the quarter finals, defeated Adeola Folarin in two straight sets 11-2, 11-4 in the semi final.

    At the end of the event, the sum of N100, 000 and return tickets to Austria were given to the winners in male and female categories.

    The second place winners received N75, 000 while the third place winners collected N50, 000 in male and female categories respectively.

    The remaining participants were rewarded with consolation prices of Butterfly Table Tennis Rackets and novels.

    The four participants from Ibadan were given the sum of N50, 000 for their transport.

    16 male lawyers and seven female participated in this year’s tournament.

    Speaking at the event, the sponsor, Mrs  Usoro expressed delight at this year’s tournament.

    She said our wish to reduce the spate of death among lawyers due to their busy scheduled informed her passion to sponsor the competition.

    Mrs: Usoro promised to make the tournament bigger every year while calling female lawyers to show interest in the competition.

    She said: “When I looked at the rate at which our colleagues fall sick and died to heart attack which was as a result of their busy schedule and I thought of doing something in my on capacity to reduce the incident. So some young lawyers approached me six years ago to sponsor the table tennis competition and I agreed to do so.

    “Six years on, we thank God that the tournament keep improving year after years. The tournament started with only lawyers from Lagos, precisely, NBA Ikeja branch but today we are not talking of Lagos lawyers alone but we are having participants from Ibadan.

    “I want to stress that the tournament has achieved it purpose and our aim is to make it bigger every year. My wish is to see more female lawyers participating in the tournament next year. We always have in our future plan to move the tournament from Lagos state to other states of the federation.” In his remark, the chairman NBA Lagos State, Alex Mouka commended the sponsor of the event for keeping the tournament going for uninterrupted six years. “I want to commend the sponsor, Mrs Mfon Usoro for ensuring that we have the competition for lawyers for six years. We have one sponsor this year, which Premium Pension, I call on the other companies to come and identify with the event. So far so good, the purpose of the event has been achieved,” Mouka said.

    The male champion, Abdulhammed said: “I thank God for winning the title again. I want to win it again next year.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Lawyer petitions Adoke, Rights Commission over judicial abuse

    A Lagos lawyer, Mr.Emmanuel Achukwu has petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Augustine Alegeh (SAN) and the Chairman, National Human Rights  Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu urging them to end the abuse of judicial processes.

    In the petition, the lawyer protested against his detention by the Special Anti-Robbery (SARS) Squad, Ikeja, and criminal proceedings initiated against him by the Special Fraud Unit of the Police on alleged instigation of a Belgian and companies in the ASCA Group.                                                                                                                      In the petition, a copy of which was sent to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Investigations, Achukwu described his detention on August 31, as “ugly, embarrassing, humiliating, unconstitutional and unlawful.”                                                                                                                                                                             The lawyer claimed that not only has his liberty been severely curtailed, his life and those close to him have been under threat and that his position as a lawyer has been ridiculed.

    According to him, SARS, on August 3, brutalised and arrested an auto-electrician together with his teenage apprentice and the lawyer’s secretary.

    He said they were taken to SARS office at the Police Command, Ikeja and detained.

    The three persons, the lawyer said, were then driven by men of the SARS to Lekki area of Lagos to show his house to them after which they laid siege on his house for about seven hours (3am to 10:30 am) when he left the house to go to church.

    Achukwu said while driving to church with his 12-year-old son, the SARS men blocked his path with a Toyota Highlander SUV “and in a commando style operation, arrested, slapped, handcuffed and chained” his legs, adding that they drove him and his son to Lekki toll gate where they attempted to drop off his son. But upon his strident protest at this inhuman treatment, he said, the SARS men allowed him to get a taxi to take his son home.

    The lawyer claimed that the beating and torture meted on the auto-electrician in an attempt to force him to identify his (lawyer) house led to the electrician being hospitalised. He said he was subsequently detained in a cell in the SARS premises in Ikeja, where hardened criminals and armed robbery suspects were kept (and several pictures of him inside the cell were taken by one of the men from SARS who arrested him) until the morning of September 1, 2014 when officers and men of the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force came to pick him up.

    He was again later to be detained at the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force between Monday, September 1, and Friday, September 5, 2014.

    Achukwu stated that his problem started when a Belgian national and his business partner in the ASCA Group of Companies decided to terminate their business relationship sequel to which negotiations were then brokered by the chamber of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) at Anthony Village, Lagos sometime in 2007.

    He claimed to have rejected an offer by the Belgian national to buy him  out with USD400,000.00 payable in four installments or with USD200,000 payable once (a one-off payment).

    He said he insisted on the full value of the five percent of the value of the companies which he  holds consequent upon which his Belgian partner vowed to ruin him in all respects.

    According to him, his partner’s Belgian Company through their representative in Nigeria on June 11, 2007 briefed their then Solicitors to write a Petition against him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), making very frivolous, false and malicious allegations against him.

    He stated that after a very thorough investigation led by Mr. Ibrahim Lamode, then Director of Operations, EFCC,  but that nothing came out of the baseless allegations as the commission refused to prefer any charges against him as it saw he had done nothing wrong. Rather, the EFCC counseled and suggested that the parties should go and resolve same amicably as what they had was a civil/commercial dispute.

    On September 18, 2007, he said that another petition was sent to the NBA on behalf of some of the companies in the ASCA Group against him raising the same allegations to which he replied in 2007 within the period demanded by the association.

     

     

     

  • Lawyer writes airline over missing luggage

    Lawyer writes airline over missing luggage

    An Onitsha based lawyer Mr. Steve Ononye has written Air France over his missing luggage.

    The lawyer alleged that he travelled with his family to the United Kingdom on August 3 and also returned by Air France.

    “On arrival at Port Harcourt International airport, I lodged a complaint about the missing bag to the Air France Customer Relations unit on August 18. I filled the inventory form.

    “It is very unprofessional and unethical that up to one month of lodging the said complaint, no reply in whatever form or manner has been communicated to me with respect to the missing bag and the management of Air France has consistently neglected to reach out to me in this respect

    “The bag which the management of Air France has refused to deliver to me contains so many gift items including some clothing materials, which I bought for my mother.  It is quite a pity that my mother will never set her eyes on the clothes and shoes which I bought for her because she died exactly one week after we returned to Nigeria.

    “The missing bag with Ref No: PHC AF 22389 be retrieved from wherever it could be and same delivered to him without delay,” the lawyer said.

    He added that he would sue the airline if the bag is not returned to him within seven days.