In furtherance of our commitment to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics and restoring public confidence in the legal profession, the NBA, under Section 14(2)(d) of the NBA Constitution (as amended), hereby constitutes the Ethics and Disciplinary Committees for the various geo-political zones in Nigeria.
Each Committee is mandated to:
- Investigate all cases of complaint of professional impropriety or other misconduct made against members as may be referred to each Committee by the President or the National Executive Council and make appropriate recommendations thereon;
- Carry out any other function that may be assigned to each committee by the President or National Executive Council.
The committee is constituted as follows:
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE – (ABUJA)
- Adeboro Adamson, SAN – Chair
- Al-Bashir Lawal Likko – Alternate Chair
- Bernard Nafagha
- Henry Ihunde
- U.M. Yamah
- Oge Duruaku – Secretary
- Musa Jacob Haruna
- Lawrence Erewele
- Hannatu Queen Inusa
- Ozioma Soludo
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (LAGOS)
LAGOS PANEL ONE (ISLAND)
1. Babajide Koku, SAN – Chair
2. Omoruyi Omonuwa, SAN – Alternate Chair
3. Dele Oloke
4. Ahmed Akanbi
5. Uju Chukwuma-Okafor – Secretary
6. Adejoke Layi-Babatunde
7. Frank Agbedo
8. Abdulrasheed Ibrahim
9. Florence Atuluku
10 Olabamiji Adeyeye
11 Muobo Majemite
LAGOS PANEL TWO (MAINLAND)
1. Olusegun Fabunmi, SAN – Chair
2. Victor Opara, SAN – Alternate Chair
3. Muna Esegine
4. Uju Chukwuma
5. Carol Ibeh – Secretary
6. Yemi Abijo
7. Chief Kenneth Ntong
8. Akeem Aponmade
9. Hassana Agbada
10 Muna Esegine
11 Malizu Iwudo
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (SOUTH-SOUTH)
1. Aham Ejelam SAN – Chair
2. Felix Okorotie, SAN – Alternate Chair
3. Ayo Asala, SAN
4. Gweke Akudihor
5. Kelvin Ejelonu
6. Chukwuma Osenyenim
7. David Maduku – Secretary
8. Ebosele Okhifo
9. Emem Ette
10 Daniel Ekpo
11 Ebitu Akpadiya
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (SOUTH-WEST)
1. Dayo Akinlaja, SAN – Chair
2. Musibau Adetunbi, SAN – Alternate Chair
3. Justus Erhabor
4. Niyi Oshinubi
5. Rotimi Olorunfemi – Secretary
6. Ganiyu Olatoye Aminu
7. Kelubia Ajose
8. Temidayo Peter Akeredolu
9. Kamil Abolade
10.Kehinde Oyewale
11.Saheed Olayemi Abiona
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (NORTH-CENTRAL)
1. Mohammed Ndayako, SAN – Chair
2. Ismail Adua – Alternative Chair
3. Safiya Balarabe – Secretary
4. Omale Omale
5. Ralph Monye
6. Dominic Ochenehi
7. Ayo Olorunfemi
8. John Mayokun Dada
9. Jude Tochukwu Ndubizu
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (NORTH-WEST)
1. Yakubu Ruba, SAN – Chair
2. Muhd Nuhu – Alternate Chair
3. Lawal Amah
4. Sadiya Nasir
5. Mukhtar Shehu Bello – Secretary
6. Sunusi Lawan Fandubu
7. Muazu Shehu
8. Kingsley Baba Yakunat
9. Jerome Iroagalachi
10 Hajara Kankia
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (NORTH EAST)
1. Musa A. Attah, SAN – Chair
2. Abdulwasiu Alfa – Alternate Chair
3. Haruna Yelma
4. Miss Nana Ganki
5. Jibrin S. Jibrin – Secretary
6. Nuhu Lukma
7. Benazir Umar Jada
8. Oumar Ciroma
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (SOUTH-EAST)
1. Emeka Anaenugwu, SAN – Chair
2. Ikechukwu Onuoma, SAN – Alternate Chair
3. Anaga Kalu
4. Chidi Onyiuke
5. Ada Chika Udobi
6. Damian Nosike
7. Fabian Nya
8. Janet Abba – Secretary
9. Oliver O. Amuzie
10 Beatrice Onyefulu
11 Stella Chidozie
As approved by the National Executive Council, the Committees are to observe the following rules:
- DECISION ON HOW PROCEEDINGS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED
A Panel shall generally conduct its investigation into a petition presented against a legal practitioner based on documents submitted by the parties to it. Provided, however that the Disciplinary Panel (Panel) may if it considers it necessary decide whether the disciplinary proceedings shall include holding virtual oral hearings for the clarification of issues that may arise from its evaluation of documents or other arguments. - A Panel shall not entertain any virtual hearing of the parties to a petition if in its opinion, it can arrive at a decision that a prima facie has or has not been made out against the Respondent in reliance on the documents before it.
- Where a Panel finds that a prima facie case has been made out against a Respondent in reliance on the documents before it, it must expressly state so with or without giving a detailed reason for the basis of its decision.
- Where a Panel finds that a prima facie case has not been made out against a Respondent in reliance on the documents before it or based on evidence led before it, it shall dismiss the petition with or without giving a detailed reason of the basis of its decision.
- WITNESS ON OATH
a. If a party to a complaint before a panel has not filed a witness statement on oath, the panel may direct such a party to file his/her witness statement on oath as well as the witness statement on oath of any witness(es) he/she may wish to rely in the matter. The Witness Statement on oath shall be deposed to in a Magistrate Court, High Court of a State, National Industrial Court or Federal High Court, Notary Public etc.
b. A witness statement on oath must contain the coloured passport photograph of the deponent.
c. The Witness Statement under oath must contain specific and concise statement of material facts which the party will rely on in support of his/her case before the panel.
d. The witness statement on oath must be divided into paragraphs, numbered consecutively.
e. The party shall attach all documents he/she intends to rely on in support of his case to the witness statement on oath.
f. Every Legal Practitioner who is a party to a petition shall state his/her full name, shall attach a copy of his/her Call to Bar Certificate, Supreme Court Enrolment Number, contact address, email, phone number(s) in his/her petition or response.
g. Every statement, document or other information supplied to the Panel shall be communicated to the other party by the party supplying the statement, document or other information, and every such statement, document or other information supplied by the Panel to one party shall be supplied to the other party.
h. If a party to a petition fails to file a witness statement on oath as ordered by a Panel, the Panel may take such steps and or make such orders that in its opinionwill meet the justice of the case. - DATE & VENUE FOR HEARING OF PETITIONS
a. On the direction of the Chairman of the Panel or any person for the time being acting on his behalf, the Secretary (if any) or any person so directed by the Panel, shall fix a date and venue for a schedules hearing of to clarify any issue in the matter by the Panel and shall serve notice thereof on each party to the proceedings in the manner provided in this Rules.
b. The notice of hearing may be served either personally, email, or such other means or manner that would bring the matter to the parties’ attention or by email to his/her email address in the case of a legal practitioner against whom a complaint has been brought.
c. The notice shall contain sufficient details as to the date, time and mode of the panel’s sitting and reason for being invited to the sitting.
d. There shall be at least three (3) days between the date of any such notice and the date of the Panel’s sitting.
e. The Secretary or any person directed by the Panel may serve on a party, any requisite document filed by the opposing party, to enable him/her react to questions that may arise in the course of hearing before the Panel.
f. Proof of email sent to a party’s email address, registered post or courier service shall be proof of service on a party to a matter before the Panel.
7. APPEARANCE FOR HEARING
a. If any person fails to appear at the hearing of the Panel, the Panel may upon proof of service on such party of the notice of hearing proceed to hear and determine the matter.
b. To subsequent hearings, mere notices issued either at the last adjournment by word of mouth from the panel, by hand delivery, short message services (sms) or electronic mail or mere knowledge of a date to which a matter has been adjourned at a current sitting shall be sufficient notice.
c. Any person who was notified of the hearing of the Panel but who failed to appear at the hearing to clarify an issue or who previously appeared but subsequently fails to appear, may within three (3) days from the date when the adverse pronouncement of the findings of the Panel are given and upon giving notice to the Secretary or any person authorised to receive processes for the Panel, apply to the Panel for a re-hearing or re-investigation).
d. A party applying for the re-investigation of his/her matter must furnish the Panel with cogent reason(s) why his/her application for a rehearing will be granted.
e. The Panel, if satisfied that it is just that the matter should be re-investigated, may grant the application upon such terms as to costs or otherwise as it deems fit.
8. HEARING OF PETITIONS
a. Investigation and or hearings by the Panel shall be based strictly on documents forwarded to the NBA National Secretariat as received from the parties.
b. Wherein the Panel decides to have a virtual hearing to clarify issues it may receive such documentary evidence as in its opinion may assist it in concluding as to the truth or otherwise of the allegation(s) of misconduct referred to it for investigation, provided that such documents are received not later than a day before the hearing.
c. The witness statements on oath forwarded to the Panel shall together with supporting documents submitted by the parties to the NBA National Secretariat be deemed adopted.
d. Any person who gives evidence before the Panel may be subjected to
questioning.
e. In any proceedings, the Panel shall ensure that the parties are accorded equal treatment and that each party is given full opportunity of presenting his/her case.
9. ADJOURNMENT: The Panel may of its own motion, or the application of any party adjourn the hearing of any matter before it as the Panel deems fit.
10. NOTES OF PROCEEDINGS
a. Notes of the proceedings of the Panel in a matter shall be taken in writing by the Chairman or by such other designated person or by any electronic process. Where a Panel holds a virtual hearing, any party who appeared before the Panel shall be entitled to be supplied with a copy of the record of proceedings on the payment of any prescribed or assessed fee.
11. The panel may in any given case extend or abridge the time for doing anything under these Orders.
12. The Panel may direct that any books, papers, or other exhibits produced or used at a hearing shall be retained by the Secretary for onward transmission to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), where the Panel has decided that a prima facie case has been made out against any Legal Practitioner and that he/she should for any other reason be the subject of proceedings before the LPDC.
13. JURISDICTION OF A PANEL
a. A Panel shall be competent to rule on questions pertaining to its own jurisdiction and on any objections with respect to the existence or validity of any petition pending before it.
b. In any disciplinary proceedings an objection that the Panel does not have jurisdiction to investigate the matter shall only be entertained of the party raising it has raised same no later than the time of submission of the Response to the Petition.
c. In any disciplinary proceedings an objection that the Panel is exceeding the scope of its authority may be raised as soon as the matter alleged to be beyond the scope of its authority is raised during the proceedings.
d. The Panel may, in either case referred to herein, admit a later objection, if it considers that the delay was justified.
e. The Panel is not bound to rule first on the objection as soon as it is raised. The Panel may rule on any objection referred to it under subsection (B and C) of this section either as a preliminary question or in its final decision on the merits of the petitions.
14. The decision of a Panel shall not be invalidated by reason of any member not having participated in all the proceedings leading to the same.
15. The quorum of a Panel shall be at least three or such higher number as may be determined by the appointing authority.
The committees are hereby inaugurated subject to ratification by the National Executive Council. Congratulations, dear colleagues.
Yours faithfully,
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN
President
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