Oladejo Oluwaseyi Lamikanra (SAN)
Evidence presented to Trumpet show that some claims about the education and work experience made by one of Nigeria's senior lawyers - Mr. Oladejo Oluwaseyi Lamikanra (SAN) are out-rightly false.
Lamikanra, the Principal Partner of Port Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos based Creeks & Shield Solicitors who joined the rank of Senior Advocates in July 2006, in a Witness Statement dated 3 March 2012 to the Court of Protection in London in a matter relating to one of his clients - the Late Captain Israel Ademola Haastrup; claimed among other things, that he attended "London School of Economics (University of London), where I obtained two Masters' Degrees in Law, first for Company & Commercial Law and Arbitration and the other for Secured Credit Transactions and Insurance."
However, enquiries to London School of Economics (LSE) found no trace of Oladejo Lamikanra in its records. In response to enquiries made to LSE, Larissa Leech - LSE's Registry Administrator said, "In regards to the letter you sent regarding the above named individual, I have not been able to locate them on our records and suggest that you try contacting the University of London, who may be able to locate something for you."
Lamikanra also claims to have attended Balliol College, Oxford University, but Ms Olivia Barber - Graduate Assistant of Balliol College in response to enquiries stated that "I regret to inform you that we have searched our files and can find no record of this person having attended Balliol College Oxford."
Ms Barber's response was confirmed by Ms Glynis Price - Balliol College's Academic Administrator.
In 2010, Lamikanra who was a former Senior Prefect at Igbobi College Yaba, Lagos; while receiving an Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA) Merit Award in the "Professional Excellence in Law" category during the school's 78th Founders' Day Anniversary; Lamikanra's citation claimed that he worked with some of UK’s leading solicitor firms - Travers Smith Braithwaite, Snow Hill, London; and Penningtons, Moorgate, London. (http://www.icobainternational.org/node/114)
A response to enquiries to Travers Smith, stated that "we confirm that we have no record of Mr Oladejo Lamikanra ever having been employed by this firm."
A separate response from Penningtons Manches LLP to our enquiries by the firms' HR Advisor - Charlotte Spinks said "We do not hold records of their employment" with us. He had never worked there either.
Observers opined that "if he could go to this length to cheat his way, what else is he hiding?"
Lamikanra may be referred to the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee - a body headed by the Chief Justice of the Federation, that has powers to confer, suspend or withdraw the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank.
He may also be referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee which is the disciplinary organ of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
At press time, Lamikanra had not responded to email enquiries from Trumpet - asking for his own version of events.