LPDC disbars lawyer for defrauding client of N7m

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has disbarred a lawyer, Nnamdi Osuji, after finding him guilty of defrauding a client to the tune of N7 million.

The decision was reached on January 14, 2021, following a complaint filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) against Osuji.

According to the complaint, Osuji, who was called to the Bar in 1992 with enrollment number SCN020502, collected the sum of N8 million from his client, Arisa Chiekwero, in 2008 to purchase a property on his behalf.

However, Osuji failed to carry out the instruction and withheld N7 million from the total sum, contrary to the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners.

During the proceedings, the LPDC found that there was a clear client-lawyer relationship between Chiekwero and Osuji.

The Committee also established that Chiekwero relied on Osuji as his legal adviser for property transactions, and the sum of N8 million was indeed given to Osuji for the purpose of purchasing a property.

Osuji, in his defense, claimed that the money was given to him as a business loan, which he would have repaid but for an unfortunate downturn in his business.

However, the LPDC noted that Osuji failed to provide any evidence to support his claim of a loan agreement.

The LPDC, in its direction, found Osuji guilty of infamous conduct in the course of the performance of his duty as a legal practitioner.

The Committee ordered that Osuji’s name be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners with immediate effect.

Additionally, the LPDC directed Osuji to repay the outstanding amount of N7 million to Chiekwero within six months of the date of the direction.