Nigerian Law School’s Principal Data Processing Officer Odeh, 2 Others Dismissed Over Alleged Involvement In Exam Malpractices

*Council To recommend All Lawyers Involved for Necessary Professional Disciplinary Action;

The Council of Legal Education has approved the immediate dismissal of three staff of the Nigerian Law School over their involvement in examination misconduct in the May 2022 Bar final (resit) examination which is contrary to para 5.04.9 of the Condition of Service guiding staff members of the Law School.

Sources familiar with such matters, informed TheNigerialawyer that the Council adopted the recommendation for dismissal at its last Council meeting held on November 16, 2022, following months of investigation and probing conducted by the Staff Disciplinary Committee of the Law School.

The trio of Mr. Idoko Odeh, Mrs. Precious Chika Nwachukwu, and Mr. Gibson Uzodinma were accused of various degrees of exam misconduct.

While Odeh, a principal data processing officer with the Nigerian Law School, alleged to have reproduced a student identity card for one Mr. Pascal Bekongfe Aboh, a lawyer, to enable him take the resit exam for Benjamin Kayode Orekoya; the duo of Nwachukwu and Uzodinma were alleged to have facilitated, and received gratification for, the exchange of a student passport belonging to a candidate – Wobo Prince Adele-Owhor, to enable one Mr. Godknows Aliegbulam Wodo, to take the test for the said resit candidate.

Source further confirmed that the actions of the three staff contravened various regulations governing the code of conduct for staff members of the law school, including penalties of “serious misconduct”, “acts unbecoming of a public officer”, and “undivided loyalty (to the Council of legal education)” as defined under para 5.04 of the Condition of Service of Council of Legal Education.

TheNigeriaLawyer also learned that those present at the Council meeting included the NBA President, Y.C.Maikyau; Dean of Law, Usman Danfodiyo University, Prof. Rufai Muftau; Attorney General of Kogi State, Ibrahim SaniMuhammed, SAN; the Attorney General of Kastina State, Mrs. Asmau Mukhtar; the Secretary of the Council, Mrs. E.O. Max-Uba, among others.

The Council further resolved to forward a letter to the Nigerian Bar Association to take disciplinary measures against all (lawyers, and) persons involved, including for previous acts of indiscipline.