SENIOR ADVOCATES

EXCLUSIVE: ARRAIGNMENT – SHASORE HIRES 4 TOP SENIOR ADVOCATES TO BATTLE EFCC

Former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Shasore SAN has hired four leading senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) to lead his defence as he is set to be arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos today.

Leading the team is respected law reform advocate, Mr. Charles Candide-Johnson SAN. Others in the crack defence team are Mr. Olawale Akoni SAN, Dr. Muiz Banire SAN, and Mr. Chijioke Okoli SAN.

CITY LAWYER also gathered that another go-to senior lawyer may join and lead the defence team in court today, as Shasore battles to clear his name over a four-count charge levied against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Meanwhile, a bail application obtained by CITY LAWYER shows that the legal team for the embattled senior lawyer will be seeking for him to go home on bail on self-recognisance.

Dated 13th October, 2022 and filed the same day, the bail application is seeking “AN ORDER admitting the Applicant to bail on ‘self-recognisance’ and/or on such reasonable and liberal terms as the Honourable Court may determine pending the hearing and determination of this Charge.”

The application is supported by a 20-paragraph affidavit deposed by one Orji Agwu Uka, a legal practitioner and one of the defence lawyers.

The matter is filed as Charge No. FHC/L/447C/2022, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Olasupo Shasore, SAN.

CITY LAWYER recalls that the EFCC had filed a four-count charge against Shasore bordering on alleged money laundering among others.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N. on or about the 18th day of November 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court induced Olufolakemi Adelore to commit an offence, to wit accepting cash payment of the sum of US100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) without going through a financial institution which such exceeded the amount authorised by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 78(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16(6) of the same Act.”

Count two reads: “That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N on or about the 18th day of November 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in a transaction without going through a financial institution, made cash payment of the sum of USD 100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to Olufolakemi Adelore through Auwalu Habu and Wole Aboderin, which sum exceeded the amount permitted by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 1(a) and 16(1)(d) the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as Amended) and punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.”

Count three reads: “That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N., on or about the 18th November, 2014, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, induced one Ikechukwu Oguine, to commit an offence, to wit: accepting case payment of the sum of USD100,000.00 (One Hundred thousand United States Dollars) without going through a financial institution, which such amount exceeded the amount permitted by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2)(b) Of the same Act.”

Count four reads: “That you Olasupo Shasore, S.A.N on or about the 18th day of November 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without going through a financial institution and made cash payment of the sum of USD100,000.00 (One Hundred thousand United State Dollars) to one Ikechukwu Oguine which sum exceeded the amount permitted by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary sections 1(a) and 16(1),(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act, as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.”

It is recalled that Shasore was last January invited by the anti-graft agency to shed light on his involvement in the Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID) case. The former Lagos attorney-general had represented Nigeria on the P&ID case.

The Federal Government had told a UK court that Shasore colluded with P&ID to pervert justice in the controversial gas supply purchasing agreement (GSPA) contract. Shasore denied the allegation in an interview.

The P&ID had won a $9.6 billion judgment against Nigeria in a British court, claiming that it entered a contract to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River State. The company stated that the deal collapsed because the Federal Government did not fulfil its side of the bargain.

To join our Telegram platform, please click here 

COPYRIGHT 2022 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.

MAIKYAU TO NEW SANS: ‘YOU MUST BE ABOVE BOARD’

PRESS RELEASE

Congratulatory message to the 62 successful applicants for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigerian (SAN), 2022, by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)

It is my pleasure to congratulate the 62 successful applicants for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, many of whom I know personally and I have interacted with professionally.

Surely, to attain the lofty rank of SAN is a culmination of years of ambition, passion and sacrifice, and the elation and fanfare that follows the announcement and investiture makes the hard-work worthwhile. What is even more gratifying is the sheer privilege the rank affords the bearer. It is for the sake of such privilege that a bearer, rather than be complacent, must redouble efforts as practitioner and academician, to live up to the high expectation of our professional colleagues and indeed the country.

You must upon your investiture, wear your rank with decorum, dignity and character. You must be above board in all that you do as advocates and as individuals as you become a standard through which our profession is measured. You must never forget this.

Once again I congratulate you and members of your family, many of whom went on this professional journeys with you, on this remarkable attainment and I look forward to working with each of you in the overall interest of the Bar. I look forward to welcoming you to the Inner-Bar.

Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN

To join our Telegram platform, please click here 

COPYRIGHT 2022 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.

AKPATA: ‘WHY AKINTOLA, YOMI ALIU MUST FACE SANCTIONS’ – OMIRHOBO

By Malcolm Omirhobo

NIYI AKINTOLA SAN: JOOR, OLUMIDE AKPATA NA MAN , NO BE BOY

When I read certain comments made by some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, I wonder how they got the rank because they fail in all ways to exhibit the qualities required of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

There are plethora of comments made by some Senior Advocate of Nigeria that has brought disrepute and discredit to the legal profession but for the purpose of this write up those of Yomi Aliyu SAN and Niyi Akintola SAN will suffice.

Chief Yomi Aliyu SAN, responding to the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr Olumide Akpata dragging a partner in the law firm of the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, Mrs Adekunbi Ogunde, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC for soliciting for clients of other lawyers, Promising that Chief Olanipekun SAN will use his position as body of Benchers Chairman to Influence all Nigerian Judges to give an expatriate oil company a favorable Judgement, wrote on a public platform of lawyers as follows:

“President Akpata, una do well ooooo! Yoruba lawyers shall be there in full force to defend our leader and Primus inter Peres! No Yoruba son shall ever be made a sacrificial lamb like it was done to Kunle Kalejaiye SAN! Call it what you like! Tribalism! Yes! What an insult! We are Yorubas before we are Nigerians”

Niyi Akintola SAN claiming to be speaking for Egbe Amofin , the umbrella body of Yoruba lawyers, responding to a question about the fisticuff that ensued at the just concluded NBA-AGM on a radio program at Fresh FM in Ibadan unfairly and for no just cause took a swipe at immediate past President of NBA Olumide Akpata .

Hear him : “That boy (Olu Akpata) is a transactional lawyer, he has never practiced law, he’s a businessman so the scenario at the bar conference is not surprising”

“We at the Egbe Amofin took a unified stance not to dignify that boy with our presence”

“That decision was reached here in Ibadan. Chief Olanipekun was the Leader of Egbe Amofin, and I was his Vice. I and Chief Olanipekun have religiously abided by that decision, however, some of our boys and girls decided to go their ways because they wanted to be in government. They wanted positions”.

I find the above comments of both Senior Advocate of Nigeria as ungentlemanly, uncourteous, irresponsible, derogatory, divisive and conduct unbecoming of members of the inner bar. It is shameful that both SANS have brought tribalism into the bar in a flagrant attempt to divide the bar along ethnic lines. For their gross misconduct, I recommend that both SAN face disciplinary action before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee. Come to think of it, what contributions have Yemi Aliyu SAN and Niki Akintola SAN made to the advancement of the legal profession in Nigeria ? I will say nothing near the contributions made by the former President of the NBA, Olumide Akpata.

I challenge both SANS to tell us how many lawyers they have employed in their career and how much they pay lawyers under their employment. Akpata as far as I know have employed many lawyers and paid them handsomely well. In fact, Akpata’s firm the TEMPLARS is one of the highest paying law firm in Nigeria since its inception to date.

The bag saga at the just concluded NBA conference and in house fighting notwithstanding, I score Olumide Akpata an A. The man did well. He came, saw, conquered and left his foot prints on the sands of time. Joor, Akintola SAN, Akpata na man no be boy .
It is laughable that in his said radio interview Akintola SAN, is complaining about poverty of values and lack of respect by the younger (soro soke) generation for the older generation. My advice to him and his likes is for them to earn their and not asked for it and that respect is reciprocal. I am of the school of thought that beliefs that the younger generation must honour their parents, elders and constituted authorities but must not fail to hold them accountable.

Akintola SAN and his generation have failed the younger generation and must get the hell out of their way for them to take over for our collective good or risked being stampeded. The young people are an unstoppable force of moral army that cannot be ignored. If you ignore them, you do so at your own peril.

To join our Telegram platform, please click here 

COPYRIGHT 2022 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.

  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Apr 09, 2022
  • 1.12k
  • 0
  • Comments Off on ‘WHY NBA ABUJA BRANCH CRISIS PERSISTS,’ BY TAIDI

‘WHY NBA ABUJA BRANCH CRISIS PERSISTS,’ BY TAIDI

Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) General Secretary, Mr. Jonathan Gunu Taidi has identified quest for relevance by some Senior Advocates of Nigeria as the reason for the continued crisis in NBA Abuja Branch.

Speaking on the theme, “Projecting the Future” at the NBA Makurdi Branch Young Lawyers Forum (YLF) Summit, Taidi revealed that while he had the mandate of then NBA leadership to bring peace to the troubled branch, “regrettably some of the senior members of the Inner Bar hijacked the process and thus frustrated our mandate.”

According to Taidi, who is believed to be eyeing the NBA Presidency in the forthcoming National Officers Election, “It is unhealthy to see some senior members of the Inner Bar competing for relevance with the leadership of the Bar. Those efforts are required in the areas of mentorship of our young colleagues who are now in their huge numbers. Indeed, the President of the Bar is president of all whether from the Inner or Outer Bar and there is no room for power or relevance tussle with him.”

Below is the full text of his remarks.

REMARKS AT NBA MAKURDI BRANCH YOUNG LAWYERS FORUM SUMMIT ON THE THEME: “PROJECTING THE FUTURE” HELD ON 8TH APRIL, 2022

I am grateful to the Planning Committee for inviting me to chair the session on “Widening Window on Medical Law Practice in Nigeria” and glad that we have on the panel Dr. Ushakuma Anenger who is the Chairman of Association of Resident Doctors in Benue State and our colleague Cleopatra Atsor.

Permit me to congratulate the Chairman and Members of YLF of this branch who have taken this bold initiative of exploring the means through which we can finally widen the opportunities in medical practice for legal practitioners. For me, such an initiative coming from this branch is a wake-up call to other YLF branches yet to catch up with the need to stem the tide of migratory practice that has overburdened our urban branches. I will in particular commend this kind of programme to my home branch, bearing in mind the hydro-electric industry for which Niger State is well known with a view to exploring opportunities in Energy Law practice.

One of the reasons programmes like this are springing up is because of the enabling environment provided for branches of our association by the leadership of President Olumide Akpata. I am proud that he is one of us at the Outer Bar who has performed beyond our expectations.

Under his leadership, our branches are experiencing zero crisis. Of course, the lingering situation in Dutse and Abuja branches were legacy matters that were inherited. While the situation is under control in Dutse Branch, that of Abuja persists largely due to the needless interference of some senior members of the Inner Bar who instigated the crises in the first place.

I chaired a team as General Secretary sometime in the first quarter of 2020 with the sole mandate of conducting unified election for the branch, but regrettably some of the senior members of the Inner Bar hijacked the process and thus frustrated our mandate.

It is unhealthy to see some senior members of the Inner Bar competing for relevance with the leadership of the Bar. Those efforts are required in the areas of mentorship of our young colleagues who are now in their huge numbers. Indeed, the President of the Bar is president of all whether from the Inner or Outer Bar and there is no room for power or relevance tussle with him. I again commend the doggedness of Mr. Akpata who has no rank baggage which would have impeded his ability to confront the issues that have arisen under his leadership.

I am a little ashamed that other professional associations such as the Nigerian Medical Association, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Nigerian Society of Engineers have long moved away from the teething issues that we continue to grapple with in the legal profession.

On this note, it is my honor to invite Prof. Agbo J. Madaki to speak to his 19-page presentation which has been circulated.

I wish us an engaging and informative session.

Jonathan Gunu Taidi, Esq.

To join our Telegram platform, please click here 

Copyright 2022 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.

  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Jan 28, 2022
  • 891
  • 0
  • Comments Off on BOSAN HOLDS DINNER, TO REVIEW SAN RANK, LPA BILL REPORTS TOMORROW

BOSAN HOLDS DINNER, TO REVIEW SAN RANK, LPA BILL REPORTS TOMORROW

The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) will tomorrow hold its 2021 Annual Dinner and meeting to review the report of its committee on award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Among the reports also scheduled to be presented to the influential body are the report on review of the harmonized Legal Practitioners Bill and Legal Profession Regulatory Bill as well as a report on the public hearing on amendment of the Legal Practitioners Act (LPA) held on 15th November, 2021. The reports will be presented by BOSAN’s longstanding Secretary, Mr. Seyi Sowemimo SAN and Chief Anthony Idigbe SAN.

Scheduled for 11 am at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, Victoria Island, the meeting will also receive another report from its Committee on the Reform of the Supreme Court alongside a paper presented by former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Chief Thompson Okpoko SAN.

According to a notice of meeting obtained by CITY LAWYER, the body will again receive an update on the implementation of the BOSAN Leadership Committee including arrangements for its Annual Lecture, Annual Dinner, presentation of the BOSAN Law Practice Journal, Induction Programme and Scholarship Awards.

Meanwhile, the association will tomorrow at the Grand African Ball Room of Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island hold its 2021 Annual Dinner & Scholarship Awards.

The Special Guest of Honour is Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN while the Chairman of the occasion is Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad. The Guest Speaker is former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Copyright 2022 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.

  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Oct 19, 2021
  • 2.71k
  • 0
  • Comments Off on 130 ‘SANS’: AGAIN, BOSAN WRITES CJN, CARPETS LPPC

130 ‘SANS’: AGAIN, BOSAN WRITES CJN, CARPETS LPPC

• WANTS AWARD OF SAN RANK PAUSED
• WORRIES ABOUT DILUTION, LOBBYING
• SEEKS MORE STRINGENT RULES FOR ACADEMICS

The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has again expressed worry over the huge number of applicants recently shortlisted for possible award of the rank of senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

In a later obtained by CITY LAWYER and addressed to the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) and to the attention of its Chairman/Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, BOSAN warned that unless a holistic review of the award is undertaken by the LPPC, the rank risks losing its prestige and standing among stakeholders.

Dated September 21, 2021 and signed by Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN), Chief Folake Solanke (SAN) and BOSAN’S longstanding Secretary, Mr. Seyi Sowemimo (SAN), the letter is titled “RE: LEGAL PRACTITIONERS PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE’S LISTING OF 130 LAWYERS AS SHORTLISTED IN THE PROCESS FOR CONFERMENT WITH THE RANK OF SENIOR ADVOCATE OF NIGERIA FOR THE YEAR 2021: REITERATION OF THE BODY OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA’S (BOSAN) STRONG NOTE OF CONCERN ON THE QUALITY OF THE PROCESS AND PROCEDURE FOR THE CONFERMENT OF THE RANK.” It was copied to all LPPC members and the Attorney-General & Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).

BOSAN referred to the response to its earlier letter signed by LPPC Chairman, Justice Muhammad and noted that “Upon receipt of the letter from the Committee, we were hopeful that necessary changes as conveyed in our letter would be implemented to preserve the dignity of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.”

The body expressed disappointment at the recent turn of events, saying: “However, following the recent announcement of the shortlisting of 130 candidates shortlisted in the process for conferment with the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, we are of the considered opinion that the concerns raised in our earlier referenced letter have not been addressed.”

Lampooning the shortlist, BOSAN said that “It is not willy-nilly that all candidates that meet the set criteria should be appointed in any given year, as such an approach cannot but result in the degradation of the rank. It is those that prove to be outstanding within the shortlist that should be conferred with the rank. This is the time honoured rule applied in relation to admissions to all reputable institutions in situations where competition is high and spaces are limited and where it would be inappropriate to accommodate all those persons who appear to have met the criteria.”

Turning to the conferment of the rank to academics, BOSAN warned that “There is even a greater need for more stringent approach in cases where appointments are to be made on the basis of academic accomplishments.”

Noting that “It has now become necessary that we reiterate, respectfully, the concerns raised in the body’s earlier letter, BOSAN said: “The members of the Inner bar are concerned that the current procedure and criteria for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria would result in a watered-down perception of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. We are also of the considered opinion that it is imperative that the Committee pauses and reassesses the procedure and criteria for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria as we fear that that (sic) the process could be reduced to a ‘mere compilation and submission of the listed documentation’ in the next few years, with no attention to excellence or distinction in the practice of law.”

Insisting that the award of the rank should be suspended to allow for a holistic appraisal, BOSAN said: “In light of this, we write to reiterate our earlier recommendation that the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria be put on hold to enable the Committee to conduct and publish a credible and comprehensive review of the process for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.”

Pledging its support of the review process “in any way possible” and as a “dominant stakeholder” in the entire exercise, the body advised that the review process “should re-evaluate the criteria, guidelines and administrative processes leading to the selection, including the personnel at the SAN/LPPC Administrative Secretariat/Department, proper pre-screening of applicants, competitive processes and independent assessment free of lobbying, all geared towards attaining and sustaining continuous improvements and retaining the dignity, respect and reverence of the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the legal profession in general.”

Noting the urgency of its Save-Our-Soul letter, BOSAN said: “We would like to point out that a comprehensive review of the screening process is an urgent and necessary step to retain the dignity, respect, and reverence of the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the legal profession in general. The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria is still committed to providing its expertise and support at every stage of the review process and we are anticipating a positive feedback and implementation of the recommendations in this letter.”

It is recalled that CITY LAWYER had in an exclusive report noted BOSAN’s blistering condemnation of the 2020 award process which threw up 72 senior advocates, saying: “BOSAN struggles to understand the rationale for the over 100% increase from the previous year and a 600% increase from a 45-year average. We are dismayed at this out-stepping from the norms and standards established over nearly five decades of our legal history.”

Delivering its final verdict on the exercise, BOSAN said: “We are of the strong and painful view, and it would appear to many, that the criteria have been whittled down and the bar/benchmark lowered to the extent of defeating the description of excellence as a sine qua non for attaining the prestigious rank.”

This is notwithstanding that Justice Muhammad had in LPPC’s response assured BOSAN that the Committee had considered BOSAN’s concerns “in detail,” adding that a review would be undertaken to strengthen the conferment process.

Copyright 2020 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.