JIBRIN SAMUEL OKUTEPA

Jibrin Samuel Okutepa is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. He is the founding Partner of J.S. Okutepa SAN & Company; a law firm based in Abuja, FCT, with branches in Makurdi, Benue state, and Lokoja, Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. He is a graduate of the Faculty of the Law University of Jos where he obtained his LL.B. (Hons), and was called to the Nigerian Bar on the 12th of December,1991. He is an astute legal practitioner of great repute and industry.

Mr. Okutepa, SAN is a committed and dedicated member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) both at the national and branch levels. He held a variety of positions in the NBA Makurdi Branch from 1993 to 2008. He was the financial secretary, Publicity Secretary, Secretary, and 1st Vice Chairman of NBA Makurdi Branch between 1993 and 2008. He was a member of the General Counsel of the Bar. He was a Member of the National Executive Committee of NBA, from 2004 till 2018.

After several years of distinguished legal practice, he was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, on the 7th day of July 2011, by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPC,  and sworn in on 26th August 2011 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria. He was the only legal practitioner from Kogi State that was conferred with the rank of SAN in 2011.

He became a member of the Body of Benchers, March 2017 and served till March 2020. The Body of Benchers as established under section 3 of the Legal Practitioners Act 1962 as amended, Cap L.11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, is the body of legal practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession which is responsible for the formal call to Bar of persons seeking to become legal practitioners as well as the discipline of erring lawyers in Nigeria. He is also a member of the Body of Benchers Mentoring Committee.

Mr. Okutepa, SAN specializes in Pre and Post-election matters, Criminal litigation, Civil ligation, Constitutional law, Commercial law practice, to mention but a few.

He is a highly experienced election petition practitioner; an expert in pre and post-election cases and has handled election petition cases before Tribunals as lead counsel for winners and losers of elections in Nigeria since 1998. He has led other lawyers in many election petition Appeal cases before the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the Court of Appeal for State Governors, Senators, House of Representatives members amongst other appeals in election petition cases.

Mr. Okutepa, SAN is a recipient of various awards of recognition including the NBA presidential award for meritorious service to the Bar. He is a highly respected authority and conference speaker particularly on Criminal procedures in Nigeria Courts, Litigation, and ethics. He is also a notable analyst and commentator on Legal and National issues and features regularly on invitation by the press.

He has written variously on many issues on law and has contributed to many journals, articles, and published books which are strong reference materials in the Profession.

Mr. Okutepa, SAN’s practice of law has a profound reputation for his doggedness, depth, and demanding qualities. It is because of these qualities and the outstanding demonstration of his value for ethical standards that successive Presidents of the Nigerian Bar Association appointed him the Chief Prosecutor for the NBA at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) since 2012.

He held the position of Chief Prosecutor for NBA at LPDC between January 2012 and October 2017, before he resigned.

At the International Level, Mr. Okutepa, SAN is a member of the following Professional Associations:

1. 1. International Bar Association (IBA)
2. 2. American Bar Association (ABA), International Section,
3. 3. Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA).
4. 4. African Bar Association
5. 5. Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU)
6. 6. International Bar Association, African Regional Forum.

Mr. Okutepa, SAN’s hobbies include Teaching, Reading, Soccer, Writing, and Travelling.

He is happily married to Mrs. Eleojo Toyin Okutepa and they are blessed with Children.