Suspended UNICAL dean tells court that ICPC’s lawyer is not registered to practise

Prof Cyril Ndifon, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar,that was suspended for alleged sexual harassment and gratification has informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that the lawyer representing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission is not listed on the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria.

The suspended Dean said, this contravened Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act which states that a practising lawyer’s name must be contained on the roll of legal practitioners in the country.

Currently, the professor is facing amended charges of four counts of alleged sexual harassment and gratification.

His attorney, Sunny Anyanwu, is also involved in the case. It is claimed that Sunny harassed the ICPC star witness, pressuring her to decline the organization’s invitation.

In court, Joshua Alobo and Dr. Osuobeni Akponimisingha have represented the ICPC.

The suspended Dean asked the court to clear them of the sexual harassment and cybercrime charges brought against them by the ICPC in a motion on notice submitted on their behalf by their attorney, Joe Agi (SAN), a copy of which our correspondent was able to obtain on Tuesday.

According to what the motion on notice partly read, “The amended charge in this case is incompetent and preferred by a person whose name is not on the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria under Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act and thus robbing this court of its jurisdiction.

“The amended charge was preferred by one Dr Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, a person whose name is not on the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria under Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act.”

The defendants also urged the court to refer the two prosecution counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.

“We hereby seek an order of court striking out the amended charge, in this case, same being incompetent and preferred by a person whose name is not on the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria under Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act and thus robbing this court of its jurisdiction.

“An order of court striking out all the appearance of Joshua E. Alobo from the prosecution counsel for appearing as a private legal practitioner in a criminal case without the fiat of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation.

“An order of court referring both Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha and Joshua E. Alobo to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for answering and caused to printed on their processes the title ‘Dr.’ ‘Professor’ when they do not have the academic qualifications to show for the titles thereby misrepresenting themselves to the public and bringing legal profession to ridicule and shame.”