The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee has refused an application seeking to dismiss a petition accusing Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, and two other lawyers of alleged professional misconduct in connection with a disputed Abuja property transaction.

The Committee declined the application at its sitting on Friday and fixed July 29 for the substantive hearing of the petition.

The petition, marked BB/LPDC/760/2022, was filed by Kingsley Aneubuna against Ezechukwu, Smart Ukpanah and Hope Onyekwere.

At the resumed sitting, counsel to Ezechukwu, D. O. Okolo, urged the panel to strike out the petition, informing the Committee that the petitioner had indicated his intention to withdraw the matter.

Okolo argued that although Aneubuna was aware of the proceedings, he failed to appear before the Committee to prosecute the petition.

However, the Chairman of the LPDC panel, Kalu Umeh, rejected the application, holding that the Committee’s rules do not permit the withdrawal of a petition once parties have joined issues.

Umeh said the panel was bound to proceed with the matter by adopting the processes already filed by the petitioner.

The petition arose from a disputed property transaction involving Plot 713, Cadastral Zone B14, Dutse District, Abuja, which is also the subject of a pending suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Aneubuna alleged that in 2018, he agreed to purchase a terrace duplex on the property for N51 million after Ezechukwu allegedly assured him that the title to the property was free from any encumbrance.

The petitioner claimed that he later discovered that the property was already the subject of pending litigation and that an injunction had been granted in the case before the transaction was concluded.

He further alleged that Ukpanah joined him as a claimant in the court case without his knowledge or authorisation, while Onyekwere allegedly testified on his behalf without his consent.

Aneubuna also accused Ezechukwu of allegedly presenting a forged copy of the sale agreement and knowingly misrepresenting the status of the property despite the pending court proceedings.

The petitioner asked the LPDC to investigate the lawyers for alleged professional misconduct.

With the Committee’s refusal to dismiss the petition, the matter will now proceed to substantive hearing on July 29.

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