The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has elevated 62 lawyers to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Among them are Professor Ismail Adeniyi Olatunbosun of the Faculty of Law, the University of Ibadan, and three lawyers prosecuting for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). While two of them – Sylvanus Tahir and Rotimi Oyedepo – are employees of the EFCC, the other, Wahab Shittu, is engaged by the anti private prosecutor for specific cases.
The LPPC, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, released the full list of the new SAN-designates in a statement on Thursday.
The statement, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajo Bello, who doubles as the secretary to the LPPC, said the committee approved the list at its 154th plenary meeting held on Thursday.
Among the 62 successful candidates, 53 of them belong to the advocacy category while the other nine are of the academic category.
All 62 appointees are to be sworn in on November 21, 2022.
The inauguration of new SANs usually takes place at the Supreme Court during the ceremony marking the commencement of the court’s new legal year.
The rank SAN is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.
Members of the Inner Bar, as SANs are fondly called, enjoy some privileges including having seats reserved for them in the front rows of all courts. Priority is also accorded their cases in court.
They are also distinguishable from other lawyers by their attire which is styled differently from the gown other lawyers wear. Theirs is called “silk” .
The statement dated September 29, 2022 read:
“The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) under the chairmanship of His Lordship, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, at its 154th plenary session held today 29th September, 2022, has approved the elevation of 62 legal practitioners to the Inner Bar. The rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.
“The swearing – in ceremony of the 62 legal practitioners is scheduled to take place on Monday the 21st day of November 2022. The new appointees for year 2022 exercise are:
ADVOCATE APPOINTEES (IN ORDER OF SENIORITY AT THE BAR)
- MOHAMMED ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR, ESQ.
- JOHNSON TARIGHO OMOPHE UGBODUMA, ESQ.
- LAWRENCE SUNDAY OKO-JAJA, ESQ.
- CHRISTOPHER AGBOMEIRHE SUNDAY OSHOMEGIE, ESQ.
- SANUSI OLUGBENGA SAI’D, ESQ.
- WAHAB KUNLE SHITTU, ESQ.
- EMMANUEL IDEMUDIA OBOH, ESQ.
- DIRI SAID MOHAMMED, ESQ.
- OLADIPO AKANMU TOLANI, ESQ.
- AYODEJI OYEWOLE OMOTOSO, ESQ
- CHIJIOKE OGBONNA ERONDU, ESQ.
- AJOKU KINGSLEY OBINNA, ESQ.
- YAKUBU MAIKASUWA, ESQ.
- HENRY ESHIJONAM OMU, ESQ.
- DAGOGO ISRAEL IBOROMA, ESQ.
- JOSEPH ADEMU AKUBO, ESQ.
- GOZIE BERTRAND OBI, ESQ.
- INAM AKPADIAGHA WILSON ESQ.
- ABUBAKAR BATURE SULU-GAMBARI, ESQ.
- ABIOYE ARAOYE OLOYEDE ASANIKE, ESQ.
- SYLVANUS TAHIRU, ESQ.
- BOLARINWA ELIJAH AIDI, ESQ.
- TONYE TOMBERE JENEWARI KRUKRUBO, ESQ.
- ADEREMI MOSHOOD BASHUA, ESQ.
- KOLAPO OLUGBENGA KOLADE, ESQ.
- SAMUEL PETER KARGBO, ESQ.
- IFEANYICHUKWU SYLVESTER OBIAKOR, ESQ.
- OLASOJI OLAIYA OLOWOLAFE, ESQ.
- MUTALUBI OJO ADEBAYO, ESQ.
- VICTOR ODAFE OGUDE, ESQ.
- SULAYMAN OLAWALE IBRAHIM, ESQ.
- MUMINI ISHOLA HANAFI, ESQ.
- TANKO TANKO ASHANG, ESQ.
- DAMIAN OHAKWE OKORO, ESQ.
- ANDREW MWAJIM MALGWI, ESQ.
- ETUKWU ONAH, ESQ.
- ADEBORO LATEEF ADAMSON, ESQ.
- BANKOLE JOEL AKOMOLAFE, ESQ.
- KELECHI CHINEDUM OBI, ESQ.
- ANDREW OSEMEDUA ODUM, ESQ.
- OKORO OKECHUKWU EDWIN, ESQ.
- GODSON CHUKWUDI UGOCHUKWU, ESQ.
- STEVEN ONYECHI ONONYE, ESQ.
- IKANI KANU AGABI, ESQ.
- MUSTAPHA SHABA IBRAHIM, ESQ.
- MUIZUDEEN YUNUS ABDULLAHI, ESQ.
- MAGAJI MATO IBRAHIM, ESQ.
- SUNUSI MUSA, ESQ.
- OLADOYIN OLUSEYI AWOYALE, ESQ.
- ROTIMI ISEOLUWA OYEDEPO, ESQ.
- CHUKWUDUBEM BONAVENTURE ANYIGBO, ESQ.
- LUKMAN OYEBANJI FAGBEMI, ESQ.
- MICHAEL JONATHAN NUMA, ESQ.
ACADEMIC APPOINTEES (IN ORDER OF SENIORITY AT THE BAR)
- PROF. KATHLEEN EBELECHUKWU OKAFOR
- PROF. MUHAMMED TAOFEEQ ABDULRAZAQ
- PROF. AMOKAYE OLUDAYO GABRIEL
- PROF. ISMAIL ADENIYI OLATUNBOSUN
- PROF. ABDULLAHI SHEHU ZURU
- PROF. JOY NGOZI EZEILO
- ASS/PROF. THEODORE BALA MAIYAKI
- PROF. OLAIDE ABASS GBADAMOSI
- ASS/PROF. CHIMEZIE KINGSLEY OKORIE
“The meeting further approved a new Guidelines for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and all matters pertaining to the rank to guide future exercises”.
