A posse of shady Nigerian lawyers based in the U.S. have faced disciplinary sanctions, including suspension and disbarment, a tranche of documents seen by Peoples Gazette reveal. The lawyers’ offences ranged from fraud and theft to corruption.

Alexander Osondu Akpodiete

Formerly based in Florida, Mr Akpodiete faced disciplinary actions on multiple occasions for misconduct between 2005 and 2008. His offences bordered on contempt of court, including failing to keep a client well informed about the status of a matter and taking an extra $1,000 from a credit card a client used to pay for his legal services without authorisation. While he was suspended for an offence, the Florida Supreme Court disbarred Mr Akpodiete from practising law in 2010.

Taiwo A. Agbaje

Based in Maryland, U.S., Mr Agbaje was disbarred at both the state and federal levels. The Executive Office for Immigration Review announced his debarment on June 16, 2016. The Board of Immigration Appeals issued a final order disbarring Mr Agbaje based on his disbarment in Maryland for conduct involving a conflict of interest, dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. He took $40,000 from a client for a real estate investment in Baltimore. The court ruled that he was “dishonest and deceitful”.

Cyril O. Chukwurah

Based in Texas, Mr Chukwurah lost his practising licence in 2015 after being disbarred for several instances of professional misconduct, including practising while on active suspension, violating disciplinary judgments in two other cases, and failing to properly deliver funds belonging to his clients. The order noted that Mr Chukwurah’s past disciplinary record was extensive and that he was disbarred from practising law before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Immigration Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Wilfred I. Aka

A Los Angeles-based attorney and Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he was disbarred in 2025 by the federal U.S. Tax Court and the federal Board of Immigration Appeals, after facing multiple disciplinary actions in 2019 and 2020. He was disbarred for failing to discharge his duties to the court, clients, and opposing counsel.

Chuck Odifu Egbune

Based in Colorado, Mr Egbune was first suspended over professional misconduct in 2023 before he was disbarred from practising in 2025. Mr Egbune was disbarred for engaging in illegal law practice in Colorado while on suspension. He represented his sister in court without a valid licence, violating Colorado law that prohibits such conduct.

Uchechi Okechukwu Nwakanma aka Prince Nwakanma

Based in Houston, TX, Mr Nwakanma was first suspended in 2015 for failing to pay fees and comply with continuing education requirements to remain in practice. The Board of Immigration Appeals, the Immigration Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security later disbarred him in 2017. The Supreme Court of Kansas found that his disbarment was appropriate.

Chinyere Alex Ogoke

A Chicago-based lawyer licensed to practise in 2005, Mr Ogoke was disbarred in 2021 for practising after the United States Board of Immigration Appeals suspended him from practising before the Board, the Immigration Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security based on a previous suspension in Illinois. Falsely claiming he was not subject to any order suspending or otherwise restricting his practice of law, Mr Ogoke filed notices of appearance on behalf of 11 immigration clients, violating U.S. law. The board ruled that his disbarment “is appropriate” as Mr Ogoke’s continued intentional and knowing disregard for our prior order of suspension and his repeated claim that he “is not subject to any order restricting his right to practice law when he, in fact, is suspended from practice before the board, the immigration courts, and the DHS are serious violations that undermine the integrity of the legal system”.

Ignatius Chukwuemeka Udeani

Based in Bloomington, Minnesota, Mr Udeani had a history of professional misconduct dating back to 2020 when he was indefinitely suspended. The Minnesota Supreme Court disbarred him from practising law in Minnesota in January 2023. Citing his disbarment by the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled that his disbarment was appropriate. The disciplinary body found Mr Udeani failed to protect his clients’ legal interests, specifically vulnerable immigrants; to keep funds belonging to his clients and return unearned legal fees; and to cooperate with or respond to the legal board’s investigations.

John Udo

A legal practitioner admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1995, he lost his license as he was disbarred from practising law in Massachusetts and also expelled from U.S. immigration tribunals in 2010. The Board of Immigration Appeals ruled that Mr Udo’s disbarment was appropriate, following a ten-count petition alleging misuse and theft of client funds, neglect of immigration matters involving vulnerable immigrants, and abandonment of his duties to clients. Later in 2010, the Massachusetts Clients’ Security Board paid 14 of his former clients after finding that Mr Udo stole their funds, failed to return settlement monies, or took legal fees without providing legal services.

Emeka M. Uyamadu

Based in Houston, Texas, Mr Uyamadu was permanently disbarred from practising law in the United States in 2010 following his conviction for felony crimes in Harris County District Court. Mr Uyamadu was found guilty of stealing between $20,000 and $100,000, a third-degree felony. He was also found guilty of tampering with a witness. First sentenced to 10 years in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Mr Uyamadu’s sentence was later suspended, and he was placed on community supervision for 10 years. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and to serve 60 days in the Harris County Jail.

Owolabi Salis

A U.S.-based lawyer who gained global acclaim as the first Nigerian to travel to space on June 29, Mr Salis was indicted in 2023 and disbarred by the New York State Supreme Court over myriad complaints from clients who accused him of scamming them out of tens of thousands of dollars.

Andrew Ndubisi Ucheomumu

For myriad instances of professional misconduct, the Maryland Court of Appeals—now the Supreme Court of Maryland—disbarred Mr Ucheomumu, a lawyer with offices in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, in 2018. Mr Ucheomumu failed to provide proper representation to his clients, failed to refund at least $6,200 in clients’ unearned fees, and made misleading and false claims in court proceedings.

Chukwu Uwakwe Oko

Mr Oko, who practised in Houston and Sugar Land, Texas, was disbarred in 2013 after the 133rd Judicial District Court of Harris County found that he violated Rule 8.04(a)(3), prohibiting legal practitioners from engaging in dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation and practising law while his license was invalid. The Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review also issued a final order of discipline, suspending or barring him from practising before immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Lloyd F. Ukwu

Based in the District of Columbia, Mr Ukwu was disbarred in 2009 by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals after it found that he intentionally took a client’s money, forged the client’s signature, and lied about it. The Board on Professional Responsibility found that Mr Ukwu intentionally misappropriated client funds and engaged in dishonest conduct, and concluded that he should be disbarred. Mr Ukwu’s misconduct occurred while he was collecting and disbursing a client’s settlement proceeds in 2004. In brief, Mr Ukwu settled a client’s case without authority, forged the client’s signature on a settlement check, and intentionally misappropriated a substantial part of the settlement for his own use.

Anita C. Kanu aka Anita C. Justin

A Nigerian lawyer based in Los Angeles was disbarred by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 2010. The court stated that  investigations found Ms Kanu violated District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct, including failure to refund unearned fees, false or misleading statements about her services, and conduct involving fraud, dishonesty, deceit or misrepresentation, arising out of Ms Kanu’s failure to refund fees she had promised to return to two clients if she did not succeed in obtaining for them the immigration status for which they sought her services. The board upheld her disbarment before the immigration courts and the DHS.

Benjamin Ndi

A New York-based legal practitioner was disbarred in 2018 for illegal practice of law, false information on qualifications, and other offences that violated U.S. legal practice ethics. The Supreme Court of Maryland announced his disbarment, stating that Mr Ndi, an attorney licensed in New York but not in Maryland, committed various violations of the rules of professional conduct, as well as of a related rule concerning the use of attorney trust accounts, while providing immigration and other legal services in Maryland. Mr Ndi did not cooperate fully with Bar Counsel’s investigation into his activities in Maryland, failed to respond to discovery requests in this proceeding, and did not appear at the evidentiary hearing before the hearing judge or at oral argument before this court. Consequently, the board disbarred Mr Ndi, and the clerk of the court was directed to place his name on the list of attorneys excluded from the practice of law in Maryland. The board upheld Mr Ndi’s disbarment before the immigration courts and the DHS.

Alake Johnson-Ford

Based in the District of Columbia, Ms Johnson-Ford was disbarred from practising law in the U.S. for gross misconduct, including misappropriation of clients’ funds, dishonest and criminal conduct, failure to deliver funds to clients, and failure to provide clients with good representation, among others. First disbarred in 2000 by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the board suspended Ms Johnson-Ford from practice before the board and the immigration courts for five years in 2021.  Ms Johnson-Ford “is currently under our September 15, 2000, order of suspension”.