Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee demotes convicted Nwobike
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended Joeseph Nwobike from the use of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and all the privileges attached to the rank.
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the Legal Practitioners Committee, Hadizatu Mustapha, said the committee took the decision to suspend Nwobike at its 132nd plenary session on Thursday.
The LPPC said, “This is to notify the general public that the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee at its 132nd plenary session which was held today, the 21st June of 2018, has suspended Joseph Nwobike Esq from the use of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria”.
It added that Nwobike has also been suspended from “all other privileges attached to the rank in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 25(2) of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee Guidelines.”
Though, no reason was given in the statement for his demotion, the development might not be unconnected with Nwobike’s conviction on April 30, 2018 by a Lagos High Court.
The court subsequently sentenced Nwobike to one month in imprisonment on 12 counts charge for attempting to pervert justice.
He was sentenced to one month in prison for each of the 12 counts. But because the sentences are to run concurrently, he would spend only one month in prison.
Nwobike, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was convicted by the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court.
But Justice Raliat Adebiyi found the lawyer not guilty on offences of offering gratification to a judicial officer and making false declaration to an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The lawyer faced the criminal prosecution for allegedly bribing Justice Mohammed Yunusa, a Federal High Court judge, to refrain from exercising the duties of his office.
The defendant had admitted in his statement to the EFCC that he gave N750, 000 to Justice Yunusa to assist the Judge in treatment of his ailing mother who allegedly suffered from kidney disease.
