Again, it has been revealed that Neda Imasuen, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, who played a key role in suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was previously disbarred in New York, U.S., over allegations of multimillion-dollar fraud and gross misconduct.
According to a report by Peoples Gazette, Mr. Imasuen was permanently stripped of his law licence in New York after swindling a client out of millions of dollars, collecting legal fees without making a court appearance. The Gazette reported that a court officer confirmed that Mr. Imasuen was disbarred for life after failing to respond to multiple petitions regarding his misconduct. His victim, Daphne Shyfield, had hired him for legal representation in 2009, paying him tens of millions of dollars in fees. However, he never showed up in court, instead absconding with her money.
His failure to appear triggered numerous disciplinary petitions, but despite repeated attempts to get him to respond, he ignored all legal processes. As a result, the Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts of New York took action and revoked his law licence permanently. A ruling on May 10, 2010, stated:
“Neda B. Imasuen, admitted as Neda Bernards Imasuen, is disbarred, and his name is stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law.”
Further, the disbarment order commanded him to desist from practicing law in any form, including appearing before any court, judge, justice, board, commission, or other public authority.
Despite his troubled past, Mr. Imasuen returned to Nigeria, where he contested and won the Edo South Senatorial election under the Labour Party in 2023. He later became the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, a position meant to uphold integrity in public service. Ironically, a man with a history of ignoring petitions was tasked with overseeing ethical complaints in the Senate.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Imasuen swiftly dismissed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition alleging sexual harassment by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, citing procedural irregularities. However, he later accepted the petition on Friday after it was resubmitted with the required signature from a constituent.
Mr. Imasuen’s case adds to the growing list of Nigerian politicians with tainted pasts who have escaped legal consequences abroad and risen to power in Nigeria. Notably, Femi Gbajabiamila, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and current Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, also had his law licence revoked by the State Bar of Georgia in the U.S. for stealing $25,000 from a client.
Mr. Imasuen’s disbarment by the New York Supreme Court raises fresh concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s leadership and the ease with which individuals with criminal records rise to high-ranking positions in government.