Johnson’s Will: Banire Drags Lawyer Before Disciplinary Committee

Legal tussle over the estate of late Mrs. Helen Johnson has taken a new turn, following a petition written by Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee over alleged letter written by a junior lawyer, Mr. Osho Oluyemi.

Banire has also filed a suit against the respondent before the Lagos State High Court seeking N200 million compensation for alleged damage to his reputation.

In his petition with reference number, BB/ LPDC/287/2020, Banire stated that the respondent, Osho Oluyemi in his letter to the Managing Director of Stanbic IBTC Bank made certain courteous and defamatory statements.

Banire claimed that the letter was a violation of Rule 15 (2) (a), (3) (g) & (j) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners.

He said the statement constituted a direct attack on his personality and integrity, and that of legal practitioners in his law firm as well as a Chief Magistrate I of the Lagos Magisterial District.

Highlighting the facts leading to the alleged act of unprofessional conduct, the petitioner stated that the Executor and the Executrix of the estate of late Mrs. Helen Aroon Gill Johnson briefed his firm, M. A. Banire & Associates, to represent them in a number of cases and to take immediate and necessary steps in the pending suits.

The petitioner stated that, his clients informed him that since 2017, some of their bank accounts had been frozen via three (3) Bankers’ Orders respectively dated 4 the October 2017, 16th October 201 7 and 16th October 2017, 28th December 2017, and 28th December 2017 obtained by the Inspector General of Police before the Magistrate Court, Lagos in connection with a police investigation.