UK sanctions Nigerian lawyer Emmanuel Oduntan for hiding drink-driving convictions

A UK-based Nigerian lawyer, Emmanuel Oduntan, has been fined £2,500 by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) of England and Wales for concealing multiple past criminal convictions and failing to report them to the regulator, Peoples Gazette reports.

According to a document seen by the outlet, Oduntan, called to the Bar in 2002, faced six counts of professional misconduct over his failure to disclose three separate drink-driving convictions recorded in 2004, 2006 and 2010.

The BSB found that Oduntan only self-reported his 2010 conviction on November 24, 2025 — almost 15 years later — with further investigation uncovering the two earlier, similarly undisclosed convictions.

The panel initially imposed a £5,000 fine before reducing it to £2,500 after finding evidence of remorse, noting Oduntan had cooperated with investigations, abstained from alcohol, and gone 16 years without further incident.

The BSB affirmed the fine as “proportionate” and in the public interest, stating it was meant to “send a clear message to the profession and the public that this type of conduct by a Barrister is not acceptable” — a warning likely to resonate across the wider legal community as scrutiny of professional disclosure obligations intensifies.