Several Nigerian lawyers practising in the United States have faced disciplinary action over professional misconduct, including fraud, mishandling clients’ money and misrepresentation, according to documents reviewed by Peoples Gazette.
The sanctions, imposed by US courts and legal regulatory bodies over several years, include temporary and indefinite suspensions. Some affected lawyers have since been reinstated.
Among them is Ginikanwa Chinaemerem Okedi, who was indefinitely suspended in Maryland in 2020 over misconduct involving client funds, dishonesty, fraud and misrepresentation. US immigration authorities also upheld her suspension.
Other lawyers named include Kehinde Oluwaranti Jobi, Alaba Ajetunmobi and Simeon Olumide Coker, who faced sanctions over failures involving client funds, professional responsibilities or cooperation with investigations. All three were subsequently reinstated.
The report highlights disciplinary cases involving Nigerian legal practitioners across several US states, including California, Minnesota and New York. The cases span different years and involve varying degrees of misconduct, rather than a single recent enforcement operation.