Meet Our People
Lighthouse Jurisconsultus is a Partnership between Professor Emmanuel Okon, Associate Professor Ibe Okegbe Ifeakandu, Dr Charles Ochem, Chinyere Usen and Margaret Chukwunyelu-Ilo.
Professor Emmanuel Okon, PhD
Managing Consultant
Professor Emmanuel Okon, PhD is the Managing Consultant of the firm. He is also the current Director of Studies, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Lagos. He is a pioneer law graduate of University of Uyo and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990. He lectured in the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife before he transferred his services to NIALS. He has Master degrees in Law and Business Administration (Obafemi Awolowo University), Industrial and Labour Relations (University of Ibadan) and a Doctorate degree with distinction from the University of Wales, United Kingdom. Professor Emmanuel Okon has published extensively in local and international journals, as well as presented numerous papers in local and international conferences, workshops and seminars. He is the author of the seminal works entitled “The Environmental Perspective in 1999 Nigerian Constitution”, (2003) 5(4) Environmental Law Review 256 and “The Legal Status of Sustainable Development in Nigerian Environmental Law”, (2016) 7(2) Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy 104. He co-edited the book: Law of International Investment: Essays in Honour of Professor Michael Ayo Ajomo (Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies 2017) and he is the author of book: Integrating Climate Change into Cons. and Mgt. of Marine Fisheries Resources (LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Mauritius 2019).
He has worked as part of the research team in a number of NIALS consultancy/collaborative research projects with local and international organisations/agencies. A few of such projects are: UNODC/NIALS Project on Human Rights and Criminal Justice Response to Terrorism funded by UNODC 2016; UNDP/NIALS Research Project on Counter-Terrorism and De-radicalisation in the North East of Nigeria funded by UNDP and the Government of Japan 2017; Training of National Assembly Legal Officers on Legislative Drafting funded by the National Assembly of Nigeria 2018, NIALS/UNODC Advanced Diploma Course on Legislative Drafting for Legal Officers/Registrars working with Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Federal High Court and Federal Ministry of Justice funded by the UNODC 2017; and NIALS/MacArthur Foundation on-going Collaboration on the Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 for Prosecutors, Defence Lawyers and Judges Funded by MacArthur Foundation.
His core consultancy areas are Environmental law, Fisheries law, Research Guidance, Legislative Drafting, International Law of the Sea, Blue Economy, and Investment law.
Associate Professor Ibe Okegbe IFEAKANDU, PhD
Principal Consultant
Associate Professor Ibe Okegbe IFEAKANDU is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of Department of Public Law at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Abuja. She holds the following qualifications: B.A (Hons), LLB (Hons), MPA (Ife); LLM (Keffi); Ph.D. Law (University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom); B.L (NSL, Abuja). Associate Professor Ifeakandu is an expert in human rights, human trafficking, terrorism and financial crimes related issues. She has published extensively and presented academic and technical papers at roundtables, seminars, workshops and technical meetings. She is a certified UNODC Trainer of Trainers Expert on Human Rights and Terrorism. She participated in a UKAID funded NIALS/NSRP Research Project on Dealing with the Past: Justice, Reconciliation and Healing in the North East of Nigeria, 2017 and a UNDP funded trainings on human rights and terrorism for law enforcement operatives involved in frontline counter-terrorism operations in the North East 2016. She is currently engaged in the ongoing MacArthur Foundation/NIALS trainings on the Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 for Prosecutors, Defence Lawyers and Judges.
Associate Professor Ifeakandu has also consulted for UNODC and UNDP in Developing Training Manuals on Human Rights and Terrorism and De-radicalisation respectively as well as on Criminal Justice Response to Terrorism for purposes of training law enforcement officers involved in counter-terrorism operations.
Associate Professor Charles Ochem, PhD
Principal Consultant
Dr Charles Ochem, LLB, LLM (Ife); PhD (Igbinedion); BL (NLS, Lagos) is an Associate Professor of law in Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria. As an academia, he has interest in International law, particularly international Maritime Law, Law of Evidence, Election Petition and Labour Law. He has published several articles in both local and international journals. He is a recipient of many awards in Igbinedion University. He is actively involved in civil and criminal litigation. On many occasions, he has been given fiat by the Honourable Attorney General of Edo State to prosecute criminal matters for Edo state.
Margaret Chukwunyelu-Ilo, LL.B (Benin); BL
Trainee Consultant/Firm Secretary
Margaret Chukwunyelu-Ilo was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2007. Before joining our consultancy firm, she worked with a number of reputable organisations and law firms. She is a Chartered Secretary and has diverse experience as a Company Secretary. Margaret’s areas of practice are due diligence exercise, corporate governance, real estates and litigation.
Sarafa Kolawole Idowu, LL.M
Associate Consultant
Sarafa Kolawole Idowu is a highly intelligent and ingenious lawyer. His passion for completeness and perfection makes him a highly impeccable professional. He has been engaged in many domestic and international financing, and real estate related transactions. His commitment to exceeding clients’ expectations and the assurance of success in any transaction with which he is identified place him above the ordinary legal consultant.
He is a law graduate of University of Ibadan and has been called to the Nigerian Bar. He holds an LL.M from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. He served in the firm of Ike Obeta & Co in Nnewi, Anambra State. He later joined Olakunle Morohundiya & Co in Lagos State where he rose to be Head of Chambers before he left to establish Braintree Solicitors. He is presently the Principal Partner of Braintree Solicitors.
His major practice areas are Construction Law with focus on Building Collapse, Corporate Law, Commercial Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Funmi Oju, LL.M
Associate Consultant
Funmi Oju is a Law graduate of the University of Lagos in 1989 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990. She has an LL.M degree in Legislative Drafting from the prestigious Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos. She has attended several courses and trainings in Nigeria and abroad. Among these are the Associate Arbitrator Course, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK; Business Franchise Training organised by Business Network International, Upland, California, United States; and Train the Trainer Program of German Dual Vocational Training (DVT), a program of the German Government and the Federation of German Chambers of Industry.
Funmi worked with several law firms before establishing Ornament Solicitors where she is the Principal Partner. She specialises in Legislative Drafting, Environmental Law, Oil and Gas Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Gogo George NTOR, LL.B, MILD, LL.M, B.L
Researcher
Gogo George NTOR, is a graduate of the University of Jos, University of Lagos and the Nigerian Law School with over a decade experience in the area of legal research and litigation. His core areas of interest include conflict and security, energy law and international law. Mr. Gogo is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigerian Society of International Law.