LPDC Suspends Lawyer George Obidiaso For Two Years For Abusing Court Process, Filing Multiple Suits On The Same Matter
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has suspended a lawyer, George Nnaemeka Obidiaso, from practicing law for two years, after finding him guilty of infamous conduct in the course of his duty as a legal practitioner.
In a Direction issued on October 8, 2020, the LPDC, chaired by Emmanuel C. Ukala, SAN, found Obidiaso liable for two out of the four counts of professional misconduct leveled against him by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The NBA had, in a four-count complaint dated March 5, 2020, accused Obidiaso of conducting himself in an infamous manner and in a manner unbecoming of a lawyer, contrary to the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007.
Specifically, the NBA alleged that while acting as a legal practitioner and facility manager to one Chief Chineme Ume Ezeoke, Obidiaso abused the process of court by filing two separate suits against a tenant, Engineer Akin Olusina, regarding the same subject matter. The association also claimed that Obidiaso acted contemptuously by visiting Olusina’s apartment to harass and threaten him with forceful ejection, while also calling him uncomplimentary names.
Furthermore, the NBA alleged that Obidiaso engaged in the business of facility management while practicing as a solicitor, which is incompatible with the practice of law.
In its Direction, the LPDC found Obidiaso not liable for the first two counts relating to making extra-judicial statements capable of prejudicing fair trial and abuse of court process. However, the Committee held that the NBA had successfully proved the allegations in counts three and four, bordering on contemptuous conduct and engaging in facility management while practicing as a solicitor.
The LPDC found that Obidiaso’s conduct was in breach of Rules 1 and 7 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007 (as amended) and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act.
Consequently, the LPDC directed that Obidiaso be suspended from carrying on the practice of law for a period of two years, effective from the date of the Direction. The Committee also ordered the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to make a notation of the Direction against Obidiaso’s name on the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
The LPDC further directed that notice of the Direction be given to Obidiaso, published in the Punch Newspaper and the Federal Gazette, and served on the President of the NBA, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and other relevant authorities.
