Legal Setback For Suspended UNICAL Professor As Court Dismisses Motion

Legal Setback For Suspended UNICAL Professor As Court Dismisses Motion

A motion brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja by Prof. Cyril Ndifon contesting the qualification of Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the lawyer representing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has been dismissed………….CONTINUE READING

In a ruling delivered by Justice James Omotosho, it was determined that the court was not the appropriate authority to adjudicate on the legal qualifications of Akponimisingha and the defense counsel, Joe Agi, SAN. Justice Omotosho emphasized that the Legal Practitioners’ Privilege Committee holds jurisdiction over such matters and can investigate upon receiving a petition.

The dispute arose when Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), along with his co-defendant, Sunny Anyanwu, raised objections to Akponimisingha’s eligibility to practice law. Their argument, presented by their legal representative, Mr. Agi, centered on Akponimisingha allegedly not being listed on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria as per Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act. They contended that this rendered the charges against them invalid and stripped the court of jurisdiction.

In response, Akponimisingha countered with a sworn affidavit dated March 20, asserting that his legal qualifications were legitimate. He provided documentation, including his Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Practicing License from 2016, to support his claim. He clarified that the “Dr” title preceding his name was earned through additional academic achievements post his admission to the Bar, and not an indication of legal qualification.

Furthermore, Akponimisingha raised objections to the titles used by the defense counsels, alleging that they were not accurately listed on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria. He argued that similar to judges who are not listed as “Hon. Justices” on the roll, the absence of “SAN” next to Agi’s name did not invalidate his legal representation.

In essence, the court ruled that the matter of legal qualifications falls under the jurisdiction of the Legal Practitioners’ Privilege Committee and dismissed Ndifon’s motion challenging Akponimisingha’s eligibility to practice law.

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