No fewer than 20 petitions were submitted to the Nigerian Bar Association against some lawyers in the country.
According to the NBA, the petitions which bordered on alleged misconducts of the affected lawyers, were filed between November 2023 and November 2024.
In a petition obtained by Sunday PUNCH, some of the affected lawyers were involved in the Kano State Emirate tussle.
Recall that the Federal High Court in Kano presided over by Justice Abdullahi Liman, nullified Governor Abba Yusuf’s action of deposing Emir Ado Bayero and appointing Muhammadu Sanusi as Emir.
Justice Liman had on May 24 made an order restraining Governor Yusuf from enforcing the Kano State Emirate Council Repeal Law, 2019 passed by the state assembly that would see the reinstatement of Sanusi.
However, according to the law, a Federal High Court has no business in chieftaincy matters as the right court that has jurisdiction to make decisions over such matters is a state high court.
The Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Bridget Edokwe, in a chat with our correspondent on Saturday, revealed the lawyers erred when they proceeded to file an application in the matter before the Federal High Court knowing well that the court lacked the jurisdiction.
She also added that most of the lawyers were already being probed before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
She said, “Twenty petitions were received in the past one year. And many cases that were sent to the Committee were already before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee or the petitioners had been referred to the LPDC.
“Some of the complaints include infamous conduct and conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner.
“Others include their roles in the Kano State High Court order of May 28, 2024, by Hon. Justice Amina Aliyu.
“Roles in the Federal High Court order of May 23, 2024, by Hon. Justice A.M. Liman, and potential abuse of court process or dishonourable conduct, including filing a suit knowing the court lacked jurisdiction as well as lawyers involved in other conflicting orders”.
The association, however, did not state the exact punishment or sanction meted out to the lawyers found culpable.
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