The Principal and founder Ifesi Nwodo & Co law firm in Abuja, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of their principal and founder, Chief Ifesi Nwodo Esq, against Ugochukwu Timothy Enyivigbo Esq and his younger brother Dr Vitus Enyivigbo.
The suit seeks legal redress for defaming him on social media without justification in law.
Chief Ifesi Nwodo who is into active legal practice in Abuja and a 2023 NNPP Deputy Governorship candidate in Enugu state took this step having written to the 1st defendant a demand letter of retraction and an unreserved apology on October 31, 2025 after he was called ‘Nkarika lawyer ‘ which translates to ‘fake, useless and or stupid lawyer’.
Chief Nwodo Esq, told our Correspondent in his Abuja chambers that the whole issue started when some of the students on a WhatsApp group chat Igboetiti Youths Forum raised an allegation that one Hon Paul Agada, the current SSA to the Council Chairman embezzled their money to the tune of N500,000 (Five hundred thousand naira).
Chief Nwodo Esq the Claimant said that he made a harmless comment tagging his friend Hon Paul Agada thus “Kindly respond to these allegations levelled against you to save your integrity or better resign your appointment, if this students petition you to IG of police you may not like it” and the friend nowhere the 1st Defendant came to the group chat and tagged his post and commented thus” NKARIKA LAWYER Mcheeew” without being referred to and without no reasonable justification.
“As if that is not enough the immediate younger brother to the 1st Defendant a veterinary doctor whom has been joined in the suit as a 2nd Defendant, came from nowhere again after seeing the letter of demand for retraction and an unreserved apology to his brother commented against the Claimant thus “Capacity dey hungry local man, unfortunately if it didn’t dey, it didn’t dey. Since your so called 15 years of charge and bail practice have you even seen 5% of the quoted amount? Foolish animal”.
The Claimant further noted that although he felt bad and disappointed that his younger colleague in the Bar and his immediate younger brother came to defame him on the WhatsApp group chat he held himself and maintained decorum as a trained and practising lawyer by not responding to them with a gutter language instead commented thus” I will respond to you at the appropriate place to teach you that lawyers don’t use gutter language and that there are behaviours unbecoming of a lawyer called to the Nigeria Bar and that I am into full legal practice of law since 15 years I was called to the Nigeria Bar”.
The Claimant is seeking 10 reliefs against the 1st and 2nd Defendants jointly and severally which includes a declaration that the publications made by the 1st and 2nd Defendants in the WhatsApp group chat of Igboetiti Youths Forum against him is wanton, unwarranted, vindictive, vile, malicious, defamatory, derogatory, constitute absolute falsehood and is calculated to destroy the legal practice, reputation, goodwill, credit, character and standing of the Claimant before the members of the WhatsApp group platform comprising 807 members as of 3:09 pm of October 31, 2025 when the Defendants defamed him and also a compensation of N100,000,000 (One hundred million naira).
Other reliefs sought include the cost of the suit N5,000,000 (Five million naira) being a suit outside the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
As for the reliefs sought against Ugochukwu Timothy Enyivigbo Esq at Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) which are six in number among which is a declaration that the behaviour of the Respondent a lawyer dully and properly called to the Nigeria bar in Igboetiti Youths WhatsApp group chat by calling his fellow senior colleague “NKARIKA LAWYER” which means fake, stupid and unorganised lawyer in their local dialect is wrong and improper,a misconduct and behaviour unbecoming of a lawyer properly and duly called to the Nigeria bar he equally asked for the suspension of the Respondent, Barr Enyivigbo for a period of five years from practicing of law in Nigeria.
