Delta lawyer, Mr Beluolisa Nwofor has been restored into the prestigious rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, more than four years after he was stripped of the rank.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privilege Committee LPPC saddled with the power to confer the rank on deserving Nigerian lawyers restored the rank following the pardon of his professional misconduct in a political matter.

Nwofor had run into trouble with LPPC headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, when he dragged some justices of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court as respondents for giving judgment against his clients.

The unprecedented action considered as professional misconduct led the LPPC to remove him as a member of the inner bar after his unsuccessful defense of the action.

However, following his repeated appeal, acceptance of his fault, remorse and apology, the rank was restored to him.

A notification dated September 10, and titled; “Notification of Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria”, was marked LPPC/CJN/CH/M143/REIN/2021and sighted by our correspondent, however, cautioned him to henceforth be of good conduct in the law profession.

The LPPC said the decision to readmit Nwofor as a SAN was taken at its general meeting held on Tuesday, September 7, 2021.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of LPPC, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad signed the notification letter.

It reads in part “This is to formally notify you that the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, at its general meeting, held on Tuesday, the 7th day of September, 2021, considered your application for the restoration of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on you, which was earlier withdrawn.

“After deliberations, the Committee upon being satisfied that conditions for restoration have been met and in the exercise of the powers vested on it by the provisions of Paragraph 27 of the 2018 Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and All Matters Pertaining to the rank, resolved to restore the use of the rank in your favour with immediate effect.

“Sequel to the foregoing, the Committee has further directed that you be informed that any future act or conduct on your part that runs foul of the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct of Legal Practitioners may attract a stiffer sanction against you,” the letter stated.