Nigerian senator barred from practising law in US yet to speak on scandal

Neda Imasuen, a Nigerian-trained lawyer and senator, is yet to react to his being barred from practising law in the US, about a week after the Nigerian media broke the news.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Imasuen was disbarred from practising law in the US in 2010 following a petition from an American, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of failing to represent him in a court case after he hired and paid him for it.

According to the document, Mr Slyfield had petitioned the Supreme Court of New York on the matter.

The Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts of the Court handled the matter.

The petitioner accused Mr Imasuen of “professional misconduct.”

George Friedman, as special referee, was referred to hear and report on the issues raised.

After being served with the petition in July 2009, Mr Imasuen was asked to file a response within 20 days.

The committee had informed him that failure to file his response would compel it to deem the charges against him, as outlined in the petition, established.

The document said Mr Imasuen failed to respond to the petition within the permitted time or apply for an extension of time.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Imasuen returned to Nigeria in 2010, the same year he was disbarred.

He would later work as a consultant for the European Union’s State Reforming Institutional Programme, serving as the Jigawa State coordinator.

However, in 2023, Mr Imasuen, an indigene of Edo State, emerged as a senator representing Edo South District at Nigeria’s upper legislative chambers.

The senator is a member of the Labour Party, one of Nigeria’s opposition political parties.

The All Progressives Congress is the country’s ruling political party.

According to our findings, an attorney suspended or disbarred, or whose name was stricken from the Roll of Attorneys and Counselors-at-Law upon conviction of a felony, may apply to be reinstated to practice.

Such an application for reinstatement after disbarment or removal may not be made until the expiration of seven years from the entry of the order of disbarment.

It is unclear if Mr Imasuen applied for reinstatement after his disbarment. If he did not, his disbarment remains active.

Silence

The story of Mr Imasuen’s disbarment in the US has been trending in Nigeria since Sunday with many of the country’s media outlets- broadcast, print and digital media- reporting it.

Like other media outlets, PREMIUM TIMES contacted the senator multiple times without getting a response.

Our reporter, for instance, phoned Mr Imasuen on Sunday via his known mobile number and sent text messages, but did not get a response.

On Wednesday, we also phoned Mr Imasuen multiple times via another of his known mobile line. He did not respond to the calls.

A text message sent to the senator’s mobile line the same day was delivered to him, but he was yet to respond, days after.

On Thursday, our reporter also sent enquiries to the senator via his official email. But as of the time of filing this report, he was yet to respond.

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Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension

Mr Imasuen, the chairperson of the Senate ethics committee, was involved in the recent suspension of the Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment.

After receiving a report from Senator Imasuen-led committee, the Senate, presided by Mr Akpabio, suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over alleged misconduct and refusal to comply with the chamber’s sitting arrangement during the plenary on 20 February.

Mr Akpabio referred the senator’s sexual harassment petition to the Senate ethics committee.

The chairperson of the committee, Mr Imasuen, ruled that the petition was “dead on arrival” and would not be entertained by the Senate.