LPDC Declines Withdrawal of Misconduct Petition Against SAN and Two Other Lawyers
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has declined an application seeking the withdrawal of a disciplinary petition filed against Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ikechukwu Ezechukwu and two other legal practitioners, Smart Ukpanah and Hope Onyekwere.
At the committee’s sitting, counsel to Ezechukwu, D. O. Okolo, informed the panel that the petitioner, Kingsley Aneubuna, had submitted a letter indicating an intention to discontinue the matter. Okolo argued that since the petitioner was absent from the proceedings and had expressed a desire to withdraw the complaint, the committee should strike out the petition.
However, the LPDC panel, chaired by Kalu Umeh (SAN), rejected the request. The committee explained that under its procedure, a petition cannot be withdrawn once the parties have joined issues and the disciplinary process has commenced.
Following the ruling, the matter was adjourned until July 29, 2026, for a substantive hearing.
The disciplinary complaint stems from a long-running dispute over ownership of Plot No. 713, Cadastral Zone B14, Dutse District, Abuja. The property is the subject of Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1182/2018, involving Uche Okoli, Multishelters Limited, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other parties.
According to the petition, the complainant purchased a terrace duplex within the disputed development from Uche Okoli and Multishelters Limited in 2018 for ₦51 million. Before making payment, the buyer and her lawyer allegedly sought clarification from the SAN regarding the legal status of the property and were reportedly assured that the title was valid and free from any encumbrances.
Relying on those assurances, the buyer completed the purchase agreement and commenced payment under a development timeline that was expected to be completed within approximately two years.
The petition further alleges that construction progressed slowly, prompting inquiries from the buyer, who was allegedly reassured that the project would still be delivered within the agreed period.
In 2021, the buyer reportedly discovered that the property was already the subject of litigation in a suit that had been instituted in 2018. The court handling the matter had also granted an injunction relating to the disputed land.
The petition additionally alleges that the complainant’s name had been included as a co-claimant in the court case without her knowledge or consent. It further claims that Smart Ukpanah filed court processes and appeared on her behalf without authorization, while Hope Onyekwere allegedly testified in court as her representative without her approval.
After learning of these developments, the complainant instructed a lawyer to apply for the removal of her name from the pending suit. She subsequently filed Petition No. BB/LPDC/760/2022 before the LPDC, requesting an investigation into the conduct of the three legal practitioners over alleged professional misconduct.
The committee is expected to continue hearing the matter on the adjourned date.
