PORT HARCOURT TOP MULTI-BILLIONAIRE LAWYER LUCIUS NWOSU DIES AT 69
—HIS LAST LETTER TO NBA REVEALED
The sudden death on Tuesday 5th of April, 2022 of Nigeria’s maverick Environmental lawyer Lucius Nwosu came to those who knew him as a rude shock, especially as he died in his sleep as announced by his family. He was known to have been a thorn in the flesh of International Oil companies operating in Nigeria as each one of them that engaged in environmental pollution malpractice had a hard time with late Lucius Nwosu who on behalf of the impacted host oil bearing communities, he brought smiles on their faces with mouth-watering legal Judgement sum in millions and lately in billions of naira as compensation.
Grand Bonny Island host Community to Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC had to cough out Five Hundred and twenty-three million-naira (N523 million) judgment sum. As if that was not enough, he helped Eleme Community to get the sum of Forty-Five Billion and Nine Million naira against Shell Petroleum Company. Again, the same Lucius Nwosu took Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC and Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Eket in Akwa Ibom state to court over Oil Spillage of which Court awarded the community the sum of Eighty-One Billion Nine Million Naira (N81. 9B).
In his over 40-years of legal practice he displayed unprecedented success as in 2021 Supreme of Nigeria awarded to him as Counsel the sum of Thirty Million naira against two senior advocates of Nigeria and Body of Benchers for bringing a frivolous court process before Supreme Court of Nigeria.
On the 17th of February 2022 he instituted a legal battle against Olusegun Awonuga as first defendant, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN as second defendant and Body of Benchers as third defendants in suit no PHC/15/CS/2022 With Lucius Nwosu as claimant as he wrote to Nigerian Bar association in his Letter entitled “Notification of Pendency of Litigation of Extreme Bar Significance”.
Lucius Nwosu served as a member of the Inner Bar since 2004 and for 4-years at the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee under Late Hon. Mr. Justices Legbo Idris Kutigi and Alloysius I. Katsina -Alu all who served Justices of Nigeria.
In the case of Bayelsa state APC Governor-elect against PDP candidate Biobarakuma Degi Eremienyo & Ors Vs. Peoples Democratic Party & Ors (2021) 16 NWLR (Pt. 1800) 387@P.405 Paras B-D
In the said letter Lucius Nwosu had wondered why Wole Olanipekun refused to comply with ruling by Supreme Court which fined him the sum of cumulative Thirty Million naira (N30m) as a result of bringing before the apex court a frivolous application in the case which Justice Amina Adamu Augie JSC read lead judgment stating “As it is, I cannot believe, and I say this with tears in my eyes, I cannot believe that in my lifetime , I would see very senior members of the Bar bring Applications of this nature to this Court, which are aimed at desecrating the sanctity of this Court; violating the well-known principle that the decisions of this court are final; destroying the esteem, with which this court is held’
The two-application filed by the two sets of applicants are vexatious’ they are frivolous, and they are without doubt, a gross abuse of Court process.
Costs of 10-million Naira each are awarded against the first and second Applicants and the third applicant respectfully, and in favour of the first, second and third Respondents to be paid personally by their respective Counsel.” —Per Amina Adamu Augie JSC (Who read in the lead).
Late Lucius Nwosu wrote in his Letter to NBA President saying, “It is similarly more significant that there is no parallel in recorded judicial history in this country where a senior Lawyer is mulcted with humongous costs of N30,000,000.00(Thirty Million Naira) and Ordered to be paid personally by himself. He has defiantly refused to pay the costs awarded by the Supreme Court as at my last inquiry, not that it would have made a difference if he had paid the same.”
Quite unlike in Igbo tradition the death of Lucius Nwosu was announced by his family a day after his death published thus, “His family sent out early notification about his sudden death thus “With hearts filled with grief, abut with gratitude to God for a purpose-driven and impactful life, we announce the death of our dear father, husband, brother, uncle, cousin, confidant and family head, Lucius Ezeaka Nwosu SAN, who passed onto glory peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday the 5th of April, 2022 In Abuja FCT at the age of 69.
We request prayers for his family and ask that their privacy be respected at this time. Burial arrangements will be announced by the family. Signed by Akandu Emmanuel Nwosu for the Nwosuagwunwanguma family of Uhuala, Udo in Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA of Imo state Nigeria.”
Lucius Nwosu studied Law at the prestigious University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, where he graduated with Bachelor of Law LLB degree in 1980 and he went to the mandatory Nigeria law school Lagos in 1981 as he was Called to the Nigerian Bar. In 2004 awarded Senior Advocate Of Nigeria-SAN which elevated his status in the legal profession until his death on Tuesday, 5th of April, 2022.
—————————–Emeka Amaefula—+234(0)8111813069
Sad indeed. Lucius made a success in an area where cases died natural deaths. What really happened?