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Why Many Nigerian Lawyers Cannot Practice In UK – Varsity Don

Published

3 years ago

December 15, 2022

A Professor of Law, Charles Adekoya, has said many Nigerian lawyers cannot practice in the United Kingdom due to their penchant for sharp practices and unethical conduct.

Adekoya said many Nigerian lawyers would have lost their licenses or been fined on the grounds of unprofessional practices.

He said unprofessional conduct is viewed very strictly in the UK, “a Barrister could be sanctioned for unnecessarily appealing against a concluded matter or for bringing an appeal that is baseless, including the award of cost and report to the regulatory body which might lead to the Barrister being debarred.”

The don disclosed that interlocutory applications, which are the stock in trade among Nigerian lawyers, are hardly initiated because of the likely negative consequences on the lawyer.

“Many of our colleagues could not practise in the UK as they would have had costs awarded against them or even lose their licences on grounds of unethical or professional misconduct,” he stated unequivocally.

Adekoya, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, demanded stiffer penalties, including withdrawal of practice licence, for lawyers found wanting.

Adekoya expressed worry that the public had lost confidence in the nation’s justice system, blaming this on various professional misconducts by lawyers and judicial officials.

Speaking while delivering the 103rd OOU Inaugural Lecture, the Professor said, ”corruption and unethical practices have suffocated the administration of civil justice in Nigeria.”

In the lecture titled, “Betrayal of the Poor in Accessing Justice in Nigeria: The Judas in our Midst,’ the lecturer lamented what he called the humongous challenges facing the poor in accessing justice in Nigeria, warning that lack of access to justice could force the less-privileged members of the society to resort to violent a mass protest, the type similar to the EndSARS protest of 2020.”

At the inaugural lecture chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, the Professor of Law regretted that many justice seekers in Nigeria “often quickly abandon their matters due to the harrowing and frustrating way Nigeria’s justice system work.”

In his recommendations, he saw the need for legal education to focus on the development of empathy in Law students for that to appreciate the emotional needs not only of their clients but of parties before them when they become judicial officers, calling for a review of the law curriculum.

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Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

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Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

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US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.