LPPC withdraws SAN rank from lawyer Ikhide Ehighelua over misconduct
Following allegations of gross abuse of court process, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) on Friday announced the withdrawal of the nomination for conferment of the rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on a lawyer, Mr Ikhide Ehighelua.
Announcing the withdrawal in a statement made available to The Daily Times on Friday, the LPPC Secretary, who is also the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hdizatu Mustapha, said that Ehighelua’s nomination for award of SAN on July 12, 2018 has been withdrawn.
She said that Ehighelua has also been barred from applying for the award of SAN for the next five years or five applications beginning from 2019.
“Besides, Ehighelua could apply after expiration of the period for the rank subject to good behaviour as assessed by the LPPC,” she stated.
According to Mustapha, the decision was arrived at during the Emergency Meeting held on the 20th day of September 2018, when the LPPC by virtue of Section 5(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act, CAP L11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as amended, considered the petition written against the nomination of lkhide Ehighelua Esquire for the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
‘’The Committee after a careful evaluation of the facts of the petition, the written reply by the respondent and attached documents, found the petition meritorious; that is the respondent knowingly engaged in gross abuse of court process on the following incontrovertible facts, namely:
‘’That lkhide Ehighelua, Esquire instituted Suit No. A/ 36/2017 at High Court lssele Uku, Delta State wherein he filed a motion for interim injunction which was dismissed for lack of merit.
‘’That lkhide Ehighelua, Esquire subsequently filed a Notice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal, Benin Division and which appeal was properly entered by transmission of records to the Appeal Registry Benin in Appeal No. CA/B/220/2018.
‘’That while the appeal was pending, lkhide Ehighelua, Esquire participated in the institution of a new Suit No. HCK/ 61 /2018 at the High Court sitting in Kwale, Delta State on the same subject matter, between the same parties and seeking the same reliefs as in Suit No. A/36/2017 which was pending at the High Court Issele-Uku and subject of Appeal No. CA/B/220/2018.
‘’That on the 30th day of July 2018, when the Motion ex parte was granted, lkhide Ehighelua, Esquire personally moved the motion for the interim injunction against the defendant and obtained all the injunctive reliefs that were dismissed in Suit No. A/36/2017and subject of Appeal No. CA/B/220/2018.
He subsequently wrote a letter dated 31st July, 2018 to the Executive Governor of Delta State notifying him of the existence of the Interim Injunction above.
‘’That lkhide Ehighelua Esquire being an officer in the temple of justice and an aspirant to the exalted position of Senior Advocate of Nigeria has conducted himself in a manner which is clearly in contravention with the provisions of paragraph 22(2) (a) E: (c) and 23(a), (b),(c)& (d) of the 2018 Guidelines of the conferment of Senior Advocate of Nigeria’’.
