The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) sitting in Abuja has ordered the suspension of Barrister Mike Patrick Adinye from legal practice for a period of three years following his indictment for professional misconduct in a botched land transaction that caused his client, Mr. Oghene Pela, to lose over ₦72 million.
The decision, delivered on December 19, 2024, by a five-member panel chaired by Ahmed Mustapha Goniri, Life Bencher, found Adinye guilty of infamous conduct in the course of his professional duties contrary to Rules 1, 14, 16, 17, and 23 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) 2023 and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act (Cap L11, LFN 2004). The Committee held that Adinye, who was called to the Bar in 2005 with enrolment number SCN046192, violated his fiduciary duties by advising his client to purchase a property with defective title and further participated in the sharing of agency fees arising from the fraudulent transaction.
The case stemmed from a land transaction in which Mr. Pela, the complainant, engaged Barr. Adinye to conduct a legal search on a property he intended to purchase. Relying on the lawyer’s professional opinion, Pela proceeded to pay ₦72.3 million for the land and an additional ₦6 million as agency fees. The transaction later collapsed when the land turned out to have a defective title. Pela alleged that his lawyer not only failed to detect the defect during the legal search but also colluded with property agents who received the agency fee, from which Adinye allegedly took a share.
The LPDC considered multiple affidavits, witness statements, and exhibits from both parties. The complainant presented five witnesses, including two law enforcement officers. PW1, Mohammed Adamu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police with the EFCC, testified that the Commission’s investigation revealed that Adinye received ₦1.5 million from the agents’ commission and was complicit in defrauding the complainant. PW2, Dawud Muhammad Dawud, a police officer from the IGP Monitoring Unit, corroborated the EFCC’s findings, adding that the Respondent admitted to collecting the money, claiming it was a loan. Other witnesses included David Jacob, a realtor involved in the transaction; Hon. Omang C. Omang, a lawyer who denied involvement but confirmed the use of his professional seal by Adinye; and Access Bank staff who tendered account statements tracing the flow of funds.
In his defence, Adinye admitted to collecting ₦1.5 million from the agents but maintained that it was a loan. He denied misleading his client or conspiring with the sellers. However, during the hearing, he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, leading to an incomplete cross-examination. The LPDC noted his health condition but ruled that the case could be concluded based on the documentary and testimonial evidence already on record.
The panel held that Adinye’s dual role—acting for both the buyer and indirectly benefiting from the seller’s agents—created a clear conflict of interest and breached multiple provisions of the RPC. The Committee condemned his conduct as reprehensible and unbecoming of a legal practitioner, noting that his desire to benefit financially from the transaction compromised his objectivity in advising the client. The LPDC also found that Adinye misrepresented his professional qualification at the time by using the stamp and seal of another lawyer, Hon. Omang C. Omang, on official documents, thereby misleading his client and third parties.
In its conclusive order, the Committee declared: “We find the Respondent, Mike Patrick Adinye, Esq., guilty of infamous conduct in the course of performing his duty as a legal practitioner. He is hereby suspended from legal practice for a period of three years from the date of this direction.” The Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court was directed to effect the suspension and make a notation against Adinye’s name on the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
Additionally, the Committee ordered that the decision be published in the Federal Gazette and the PUNCH Newspaper and circulated to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, heads of courts across the federation, the Attorney General of the Federation, and all State Attorneys General, as well as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association for appropriate administrative notification
