The lawmaker representing Edo South Senatorial District in Nigeria’s National Assembly, Senator Neda Imasuen, was disbarred from practising law in the United States over allegations of professional misconduct.
Imasuen, a member of the Labour Party (LP) and chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ethics, was barred by a US court in 2010 following a petition against him for neglecting a legal case after receiving payment.
Despite this, in 2023, he emerged as a senator in Nigeria, representing Edo South at the upper legislative chamber.
The Case That Led To Imasuen’s Disbarment. A document obtained by Premium Times revealed that while practising law in New York, an American client, Daphne Slyfield, hired Imasuen for a legal matter, which he allegedly failed to handle despite being paid.
The client subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court of New York, alleging that Imasuen had neglected his duties. The matter was handled by the Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts.
After being served with the petition in July 2009, Imasuen was asked to respond within 20 days. However, he failed to reply within the stipulated time or request an extension, leading the court to deem the charges against him as admitted. New York Court Orders Imasuen’s Disbarment.
Following his failure to respond, the court proceeded to disbar him from legal practice in the United States. A ruling from the New York Supreme Court’s Grievance Committee, dated May 11, 2010, barred him from appearing before any court or holding himself out as a legal practitioner.
