LPDC Suspends Lawyer Edward Oseghale For 2 Years After Pocketing Client’s N405k, Failing To Deliver Services

*Orders Refund of Client’s N405k

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has found Edward Oseghale, Esq., liable for infamous conduct in a professional manner and has suspended him from practicing law for a period of two years. The decision was reached on May 8, 2023, following a complaint filed by Monday Omon Ojo on behalf of Eigbokhan Kingsley.

According to the complaint, Oseghale was engaged by Kingsley to perfect the title of his landed property at the Ministry of Lands in Lagos State. Kingsley handed over relevant title documents and made payments totaling N405,000 to Oseghale for land use payment, building approval, and property development.

However, Oseghale failed to update Kingsley on the progress of the title perfection, leading to a loss of confidence in his ability to deliver. When pressed for evidence of payment to the Lands Registry, Oseghale provided a Survey Plan that was later discovered to be a forgery. Further inquiries revealed that Oseghale had been operating with a false office address.

Despite attempts by Kingsley to retrieve the land title documents and funds given to Oseghale, the lawyer failed to comply, leading to the complaint being filed with the LPDC.

The LPDC found that there was a clear lawyer-client relationship between Kingsley and Oseghale, and that the latter had failed to discharge the legal services for which he was engaged. The Committee noted that Oseghale’s conduct was irresponsible and condemnable, portraying the legal profession in a bad light.

In its direction, the LPDC suspended Oseghale from the Roll of Legal Practitioners and from engaging in the practice of law for two years, effective from the date of the direction. The Committee also ordered Oseghale to refund the sum of N405,000 to Kingsley.

The Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court has been directed to effect the order and make a notation of the direction against Oseghale’s name on the Roll of Legal Practitioners. The decision will be brought to the attention of various legal authorities, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the President of the Court of Appeal, and the Attorney General of the Federation, among others.

The LPDC emphasized that service of relevant processes on parties in such proceedings is fundamental and touches on the jurisdiction of the Committee to proceed with the hearing. The Committee took great care to ensure that Oseghale was duly served with the originating processes and other relevant documents, despite his failure to appear or engage counsel in his defense.

This decision serves as a reminder to legal practitioners of the importance of upholding the highest standards of professional conduct and the consequences of engaging in infamous conduct.