A controversy has emerged around Neda Imasuen, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, following revelations that he was permanently disbarred from practicing law in New York due to allegations of fraud and professional misconduct.
According to Peoples Gazette Imasuen lost his legal license after he collected substantial legal fees from a client, Daphne Shyfield, in 2009 but failed to represent her in court. Instead, he allegedly absconded with the funds, leading to multiple petitions against him.
Despite repeated attempts by the Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts to obtain a response from him, Imasuen ignored the petitions and refused to cooperate with disciplinary investigations. This led to his permanent disbarment on May 10, 2010.
“Neda B. Imasuen, admitted as Neda Bernards Imasuen, is disbarred, and his name is stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law,” read the committee’s decision, barring him from practicing law or appearing before any legal authority.
Years after his legal troubles abroad, Imasuen successfully contested and won the Edo South senatorial seat under the Labour Party in 2023. His appointment as chair of the Ethics and Public Petitions Committee has raised concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s leadership, especially given his past disregard for legal proceedings.
Recently, he came under scrutiny for rejecting a sexual harassment petition filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. He initially dismissed the petition, citing procedural errors, but later accepted it after the necessary corrections were made.
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His case is reminiscent of other Nigerian politicians with legal and ethical violations abroad who later sought political office. A similar instance involved President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was sanctioned by the State Bar of Georgia for misappropriating $25,000 in client funds.
With his name now added to the list of Nigerian officials facing allegations of fraud and misconduct, Imasuen’s disbarment raises broader questions about accountability in the country’s political landscape.
