By Henry Obetta

The embattled lady lawyer facing trial before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, Ms Stella Oyiugo, for allegedly misrepresenting the interest of the Barewa Old Boys Association, BOBA, in an Abuja land dispute, has urged the panel to subpoena a former secretary of the association to testify in her defence.

Oyiugo is standing trial for allegedly assuming legal representation of BOBA without the consent of the association’s patrons, including former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd); the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad; and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, among others.

At the resumed hearing of the matter, Oyiugo sought the LPDC’s permission to issue subpoenas to Professor Ahmed Mora, former Secretary General of BOBA, and one Ibrahim Salmanu, to testify in her defence.

Her counsel, Dr. I. Nwosu, made the appeal on May 27, 2025, before the committee.

According to Nwosu, the testimony of both individuals was vital to Oyiugo’s defence.

He argued that Salmanu was the one who engaged Oyiugo to represent BOBA in court and even deposed to a witness statement as a member of the association’s Board of Trustees, which comprises eminent Nigerians like Gowon and the Sultan.

He further submitted that Salmanu’s authority stemmed from a 2013 letter written by Prof. Mora, in his capacity as BOBA’s Secretary General, to Eagle Aluminium Ltd, the company currently in dispute with BOBA over ownership of the land.

In the letter, Prof. Mora reportedly informed the company that BOBA’s land allocation had been revoked and requested that Eagle Aluminium defend both its interest and that of BOBA in the dispute.

However, BOBA later denied that any revocation had occurred, insisting that no formal notice of revocation was ever served.

A police investigation report filed before the LPDC indicted Oyiugo, Ibrahim Salmanu, Linus Ukachukwu (CEO of Eagle Aluminium), and Prof. Mora for conspiracy to defraud BOBA of the land in question.

The report concluded that the letters issued by Prof. Mora to Eagle Aluminium were written unilaterally, without the knowledge, consent, or authority of BOBA.

It further recommended that the professor be prosecuted for criminal breach of trust.

Following this, the indicted individuals were arraigned before the FCT High Court in November 2024, on charges of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

However, on April 27, 2025, the prosecuting officer, Abdulrasheed Sidi, filed a notice of withdrawal and discontinuance of the charges against all the accused.

He urged the court to terminate all proceedings “forthwith as directed by the complainant.” No official reason was given for the withdrawal.

Meanwhile, the LPDC continues to hear the professional misconduct case against Oyiugo, which centres on her alleged unauthorised representation of BOBA in court.

The substantive matter on the ownership of the disputed land is still pending before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

The LPDC has adjourned further hearing of the disciplinary proceedings against Oyiugo to July 16, 2025.