President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Alegeh, has warned lawyers to abstain from professional misconduct, saying henceforth the association will not tolerate any act of indiscipline from its members.
Speaking at the inauguration of Barnawa branch of the association in Kaduna, the NBA president said it was imperative to rid the profession of quacks and ensure that only qualified lawyers are in practice.
He said no fewer than 1000 fake lawyers had so far been discovered in the profession and that the number kept increasing.
“The Nigerian Bar Association is not going to leave any stone unturned in its efforts to rid the law profession of quacks. Any quack lawyer apprehended will be handed over to the law enforcement agency for necessary prosecution.
“The association will deal decisively with any lawyer who misbehaves. The punishment ranges from two to five years ban. And if it is a more grievous offence, such lawyer might lose his or her practicing license,” Alegeh said.
He urged the lawyers to always keep to the ethics of their profession and uphold societal values.
In his acceptance speech, the interim Chairman of the NBA, Barnawa, Murtala Oladimeji Abdul-Rasheed, said they intend to make the branch a model for legal practice.
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