LPPC withdraws the rank of SAN, privileges from B.E.I. Nwofor Esq

The legal practitioners’ privileges committee has withdrawn the esteemed rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), from B.E.I.Nwofor Esq.

A withdrawal letter dated 22nd day of June 2017 signed by Ahmed Gambo Saleh Esq the Chief Registrar of Supreme court and Secretary, Legal Practitioners’ privileges Committee LPPC was served on Nwofor yesterday.

The LPPC said it took the decision at its 126th General Meeting where it considered complaints filed by Court of Appeal against Nwofor and Nwofor responses to same complaints.

“The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee at its 126th General meeting held on 22 of June 2017 considered extensively the compliants filed by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria against B.E I. Nwofor Esq a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, with his response to same and all material facts and have decided that B.E I. Nwofor Esq ,a Senior Advocate of Nigeria conducted himself in a manner,unbecoming of a holder of the esteemed rank of a “Senior Advocate of Nigeria”.

“By the reason of the forgoing , the rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, including its privileges has been withdrawn from B.E.I Nwofor Esq. forthwith,” the letter said.

The letter gave no details of Nwofor’s misconducts that earned him demotion in rank . But sources said the Court of Appeal of Nigeria complaints are unconnected with allegations of N350m bribe Nwofor leveled against Justice Jumai Sankey the Chairman of the Court of Appeal three man panel that later disqualified themselves from sitting over the Ondo state PDP leadership tussle and by extension Senators Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi factions crisis.

The allegations was contained in a petition by Biyi Poroye against the three-member panel of judges when Nwofor was his lead counsel.

In the petition sent to the president of the court Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, Biyi Poroye said the judges over the matter received a N350 million bribe to rule in favour of the Makarfi faction.

The bribe, Poroye – a factional chairman of the Ondo chapter of the party – alleged was received from the Ondo state governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

Also, Poroye in an affidavit said he believed the judges had been compromised because the lead judge Jumai Sankey was prone to corruption.

The petitioner said Sankey had also been sick for a long while – five years – and therefore prone to corruption.