Ms Stella Oyiugo, lawyer, who appeared before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, (LPDC) accused of land grabbing has urged the panel to subpoena a former secretary of the Barewa Old Boys Association, (BOBA) to defend her.
Oyiugo is accused of taking over the representation of BOBA without the consent of patrons of the association who include Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Sultan of Sokoto, Abuabakar Saad, Justice Mohammed Uwais, among others.
She made the appeal through her Counsel, Dr I.N Nwosu at the resumed hearing of the disciplinary committee on Tuesday in Abuja.
She appealed to the LPDC to issue subpoenas to Prof. Ahmed Mora, former secretary of the alumni association and one Ibrahim Salmanu to testify in her defence.
She said that the testimony of the duo was crucial to her defence as Salmanu was the one who engaged her to represent BOBA in court and even swore to a witness statement as a member of BOBA BOT, a position occupied by the likes of Gowon and the Sultan.
She also revealed that Salmanu was appointed to represent BOBA in the suit by a letter written by Mora, the then Secretary General of BOBA in 2013, to Eagle Aluminium Ltd , a company contending ownership of the land with BOBA.
According to Oyiugo, Mora also claimed that the land allocation to BOBA was revoked and asked the company to defend its interest and that of BOBA in the land dispute.
“However, BOBA denied the revocation of its allocation of the land as no revocation notice was served on it.”
Meanwhile a police investigation report filed at the LPDC, indicted Onyiugo, Salmanu, Linus Ukachukwu, CEO of Eagle Aluminium and Mora for conspiracy to defraud BOBA of the land.
The investigation report also established that the letters written by Mora to Eagle Aluminium were unilateral and without the knowledge, consent or authority of BOBA and recommended that the professor be charged for criminal breach of trust.
The suspects indicted by the police investigation were charged to FCT High Court by the police in November 2024 for conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
However, the prosecuting police officer, Abdulrasheed Sidi, filed a notice of withdrawal and discontinuance of the charge against all the suspects on April 27, 2025 and urged the Court to “terminate any further proceedings forthwith as directed by the Complainant”.
No reasons were given for withdrawal of the charges, but an Abuja based legal practitioner, Peter Godswill is of the opinion that withdrawn charges can always be reinstated in accordance with Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Although the criminal charges have been withdrawn, proceedings against Oyuigo for professional misconduct continued at the LPDC for representing BOBA in court without authority.
However the substantive case of ownership of the land is also pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
The disciplinary committee has adjourned further hearing of Oyuigo’s case until July 16.
By Deborah Coker
