Olumide Tayo-Lawal Suspended for 5-Year Over Ethics Breach

 Olumide Tayo-Lawal, a lawyer has been suspended as a lawyer from carrying on the trade or business of legal practice for a period of five years over professional misconduct by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

A five-man panel of the LPDC comprising Justices Dr. Ishaq Bello, Life Bencher; (Chairman) and Aisha Bashir Aliyu, CJ Nasarawa, Bencher as well as Ahmed Mustapha-Goniri, Life Bencher; Ebenezer Obeya, Life Bencher and Mr. Obafemi Adewale (SAN), Life Bencher, held that Tayo-Lawal behaved in an infamous manner unbecoming of a lawyer.

Tayo-Lawal was further ordered to refund to the applicant, Dr Kenneth Soyemi, the sum of N3.1 million, failure of which his name may not be restored after five years.

In the decision delivered October 9, 2023, the LPDC said: “We the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee hereby find the respondent, Olumide Tayo-Lawal with enrollment No SCN029927, a Legal Practitioner whose name is on the roll of Legal Practitioners, liable of infamous conduct in the course of the performance of his duty as a legal practitioner as set out in the application of the applicant contrary to Rules 1, 7, 14(1), 15, 16(c), 18(2) and 22 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2007 and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act Cap. L11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as amended).

“We are satisfied that the proper order to make in the circumstance is to direct that the respondent be and is hereby suspended forthwith from carrying on the trade or business of legal practice or a legal practitioner for a period of five years from the date of this direction in accordance with the provisions of Rule 22(b) of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee Rules, 2020 and all other enabling provisions.

“Pursuant to the provisions of Section 12(c) of the Legal Practitioners Act, 2004 (as amended) and Rule 22(c) of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee Rules, 2020, the respondent is further ordered to refund to the applicant the sum of N3, 100,000.00 only forthwith. Failure on the part of the respondent to refund the said sum within a period of three months from the date of this direction will be considered in deciding whether or not to restore his name to the roll of Legal Practitioners at the end of the suspension period.”