Nigerian court rules enforcement of Gadzama’s suspension unconstitutional — Premium Times Nigeria

The Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, has ruled unconstitutional the enforcement of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee’s (LPDC) decision to suspend Joe-Kyari Gadzama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), from practice for three years. As Premium Times Nigeria reports, the court also barred the enforcement, publication, transmission, or compulsory application of the decision against Gadzama.

Court ruling

Justice Obiora Egwuatu also barred the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from making disciplinary entries concerning Gadzama on the basis of the LPDC decision. In addition, the court prohibited the publication or circulation of this decision as a final disciplinary determination concerning the lawyer.

According to a statement by Gadzama’s legal team, enforcement of the LPDC decision without an effective appeal mechanism contradicts Sections 36(1), 36(2), and 6(6)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution. The statement also said that the court found the committee lacked jurisdiction in the case.

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Compensation dispute

On July 29, 2026, the LPDC ordered Gadzama’s suspension from legal practice for three years and that of another lawyer, Ocha Ulegede, for two years. The disciplinary proceedings concerned a dispute over the management and distribution of compensation in a case linked to a 2001 military operation in Zaki-Biam, Benue State.

Gadzama stated that he had no professional relationship with Chris Alashi, who filed the complaint, and had not received instructions from him. According to his version, he was separately authorized by certain judgment creditors. At the same time, in its ruling, the LPDC stated that the lawyer solicited clients already represented by another lawyer and also acted on behalf of people who later denied instructing him to represent their interests.

The dispute concerns payments to victims and the families of those killed as a result of the military operation. According to the outlet, in 2007 the Federal High Court awarded the claimants 41.8 billion naira in damages, but the parties later reached an agreement for 8 billion naira. The Court of Appeal endorsed it as a consent judgment.