LPDC Suspends Abuja Lawyer for Property Fraud in =N=29 Million Real Estate Scam
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has suspended Abuja-based lawyer, Everestus Chinedum Ugwuowo, from practicing law in Nigeria for five years, following his indictment in a ₦29 million property fraud case.
The suspension was the outcome of a petition filed by Mrs. Grace Dauda, who accused Ugwuowo of professional misconduct and infamous conduct during the course of his legal practice.
“We, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, hereby find the Respondent, EVERESTUS CHINEDU UGWUOWO, ESQ., liable of infamous conduct in the course of his practice as a legal practitioner,” the LPDC stated in its final direction.
The committee ruled that Ugwuowo is to be removed from the Roll of Legal Practitioners and barred from legal practice for five years from the date of the ruling.
According to the LPDC, in 2017, Ugwuowo collected ₦29 million from Mrs. Dauda for the sale of a four-bedroom duplex located at House No. 11, 662 Road, Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, without the authorization of the actual property owner. Despite acknowledging receipt of the funds on his firm’s letterhead dated September 14, 2017, Ugwuowo failed to complete the transaction or return the money.
Since then, he reportedly became evasive, making himself unreachable. The property’s rightful owner, Ciroma Muhammed Umar, later testified that he never authorized Ugwuowo—or anyone else—to sell the house on his behalf.
The LPDC noted:
“He neither transferred possession nor title of the property to the Applicant and has failed to refund the ₦29 million paid to him, now over eight years ago.”
The committee further ruled that Ugwuowo must refund the full amount to the complainant within 30 days of the direction.
“The Respondent, EVERESTUS CHINEDU UGWUOWO, ESQ., is also directed to refund the sum of ₦29,000,000.00 (Twenty-Nine Million Naira) only to the Applicant within 30 days from the date of this Direction,” the ruling stated.
The verdict was delivered by a five-member LPDC panel chaired by Justice Ishaq Bello, former Chief Judge of the FCT High Court.
The LPDC also directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to effect the suspension and annotate the ruling against Ugwuowo’s name in the Roll of Legal Practitioners. Notices of the decision are to be sent to the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other relevant authorities.
The committee concluded that Ugwuowo’s conduct violated the rules governing the legal profession and warranted strict disciplinary action.