Chief Aikhunegbe Malik, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has filed a lawsuit against Hon. Francis Agbo for unpaid legal fees totaling N15 million. He is asking the Federal Capital Territory’s High Court in Abuja to order Agbo to pay the money.
Agbo is running for re-election to serve a second term as the representative of Benue State’s Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo district in the House of Representatives.
Agbo vs. Aida Nath Ogwuche and two others were the subjects of an appeal with the CA/MK/PE/03/2022 number, according to Malik.
Also, the plaintiff is seeking N5 million in professional fees for the preparation and execution of the draft Notice of Appeal to appeal the decision in the case with the same parties under file number FHC/ABJ/CS/778/2022. In addition, he is seeking N10 million from the defendant as court fees. The defendant is a politician and a parliamentarian for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), according to the plaintiff, who made this claim through his attorney, Mr. Jibrin Okutepa (SAN).
Agbo participated in the party primary, which was conducted on May 23, 2023, according to his arguments, but it was later stated that he had lost and that someone else had won. He chose to contest the result because he was offended by it. He gave Malik instructions to speak on his behalf, first verbally and then subsequently in writing.
To represent the defendant in court, the SAN claimed he accepted the brief and filed a case at the Federal High Court, making multiple flights from Abuja to Makurdi with his team of attorneys. Eventually, a decision was made in the case, and the defendant instructed Malik to appeal.
According to the SAN, he demanded a deposit payment for the interlocutory appeal and full payment for the appeal against the final verdict.
However, the defendant left the claimant’s office and did not come back to follow through on his pledge to pay his unpaid professional fees.
The defendant used the claimant’s draft notice of appeal to brief a different legal firm to pursue the appeal against the decision of the Federal High Court, Makurdi Division rather than contacting the claimant to resolve the problem of the unpaid professional fees.
The claimant claimed that he had verified that the final document created by the claimant and provided to the defendant was substantially or virtually identical to the Notice of Appeal that was ultimately filed by or on behalf of the defendant in opposition to the verdict.
Malik claimed that when his client refused to pay him, he sent a bill of charges outlining the job completed and the professional fees owed, coupled with a demand letter.
