Lawyer drags Danladi before legal practitioners’ disciplinary committee

THE first vice president of the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) John Aikpokpo- Martins has petitioned the chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau ( CCB), Mr. Danladi Umar at the Legal Practitioner’s Disciplinary Committee for violating the extant rules of professional conduct ( Rule 1 of the RPC) and putting the legal profession to public ridicule.

According to the petitioner, Mr. Umar, on March 29, 2021, wrongfully parked his car ( an SUV) at Banex Plaza, Abuja, which compelled a 22- year- old security guard at the plaza, Mr. Clement Sargwak to politely approach him and requested that he should park his vehicle properly because it was obstructing traffic.

“The simple and polite request of Mr. Sargwak surprisingly infuriated Mr. Umar who suddenly attacked and kicked the security guard despite being held back by his security aides. It was also a fact that Mr. Umar watched with great pleasure how one of his aides gave a thunderous slap across the same security guard’s face and subsequent engagement in physical combat and inhumane treatment against the security guard in the public glare.

“This created a huge scene that attracted members of the public who witnessed the exhibition of “unlawyerly” and ungentlemanly conduct by Mr. Umar. Such action resulted into a social media frenzy that brought the legal profession into public odium, ridicule and disrespect.

“Mr Umar still refused to calm down and failed to show remorse in the full glare of members of the public, who rushed to witness the gory scene,” Aikpokpo- Martins said. He further noted that rule 1 of the RPC 2007 expressly states that a lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster the course of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner. He also added that it is the duty of every lawyer to report any violation of the RPC provisions and not to condone it.

Aikpokpo- Martins therefore prayed to the committee to immediately commence the disciplinary process and prosecute Mr. Umar for the violation of the sacred provisions of the RPC Rules, particularly Rule 1.