The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a high-profile misconduct petition against Danladi Umar, former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, ruling that the allegations of professional impropriety did not hold up in court.
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In a decision handed down on October 15, 2025, the LPDC threw out case number BB/LPDC/489/2021, filed in 2021 by lawyer John Aikpokpo-Martins. The petition accused Umar of conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner under Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) 2023, stemming from a widely publicized altercation on March 29, 2021, at Banex Plaza in Abuja.
The incident, captured in a video that became Exhibit A in the proceedings, allegedly showed Umar physically assaulting security guard Clement Sargwak. Hearings commenced on July 14, 2025, with both sides adopting their filed documents. Aikpokpo-Martins submitted the video recording, an affidavit, and a verifying affidavit, while Umar’s defense team presented several exhibits, including a “star” Exhibit F — a Senate committee remark deemed irrelevant to the core allegations.
During the session, the video was played before the committee, counsel, and parties. Umar unequivocally identified himself in the footage and admitted to the assault on the security personnel. Notably, Aikpokpo-Martins opted not to cross-examine Umar, citing the clarity of the admission and a desire not to prolong the proceedings.
Umar’s team mounted a preliminary objection, arguing that the LPDC lacked jurisdiction over him as a former tribunal chairman. The committee overruled this, invoking Section 318(1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended), which does not grant such officials immunity from LPDC oversight — unlike judicial officers under the National Judicial Council (NJC).
At the heart of the main case was the question: Did Umar’s admitted conduct on March 29, 2021, at Banex Plaza constitute a violation of RPC Rule 1? The LPDC ruled no, primarily faulting the petitioner’s case on two fronts:
- Failure to call Sargwak, described as a “star witness,” to testify.
- Aikpokpo-Martins’ own admission that he was not present at the scene of the incident.
The committee noted that Umar’s evidence — including a withdrawal letter and apology from Sargwak to a Senate committee — went unchallenged, further undermining the petition.
The ruling a key legal precedent: even high-ranking government lawyers like Umar remain subject to LPDC discipline, not the NJC, barring explicit constitutional exclusions. Legal observers say it serves as a humbling reminder for practitioners in public office to uphold decorum, regardless of position.
Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka, Esq. — known as “Democrat” and the prosecutor for Aikpokpo-Martins — confirmed the dismissal in a statement on Thursday. “We are pleased with the committee’s direction on jurisdiction and broader implications,” Chukwuemeka said. His team is now reviewing a certified true copy (CTC) of the ruling to chart potential next steps, including any appeal.
Umar, a Nigerian lawyer called to the Bar whose name remains on the Supreme Court Roll, could not be reached for immediate comment. The case’s closure ends a four-year saga that spotlighted tensions between professional ethics and public service accountability.
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