*I Will Appeal Immediately” — Gadzama Rejects LPDC’s Three-Year Suspension Over Zaki Biam Brief*
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The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee has directed the suspension of Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN, from legal practice for three years and Chief Ocha P. Ulegede for two years over alleged professional misconduct arising from the handling of compensation awarded to victims of the Zaki Biam military killings in Benue State.
The decision was delivered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Complaint No. BB/LPDC/1314/2024, instituted by legal practitioner Chris Alashi against Ulegede and Gadzama.
The committee, chaired by Justice Halima Ibrahim, reportedly found the two lawyers liable for violating provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023, in connection with the representation of judgment creditors and the handling of professional fees in the long-running compensation dispute.
The LPDC was reported to have held that Gadzama improperly solicited or took over clients who were already represented by Alashi, while the complaint also raised allegations concerning the appropriation of professional fees.
The committee consequently imposed a three-year suspension on Gadzama and a two-year suspension on Ulegede.
It further directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to notify the apex court of its decision and ordered that the heads of all superior courts of record in Nigeria be informed.
The Inspector-General of Police is also to be notified of the disciplinary action against the two legal practitioners.
The disciplinary dispute arose from litigation connected with the October 2001 military invasion of Zaki Biam and surrounding communities in Benue State.
The military operation followed the killing of 19 soldiers in the area and reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 200 civilians, alongside the destruction of houses and other property.
Victims, survivors and relatives of those killed subsequently instituted an action against the Federal Government before the Federal High Court in Enugu, seeking compensation for the deaths, destruction and alleged violations of their fundamental rights.
In July 2007, Justice Lewis Allagoa awarded approximately ₦41.8 billion in compensation to the plaintiffs.
The Federal Government challenged the judgment at the Court of Appeal but later entered negotiations with representatives of the judgment creditors, resulting in a reported agreement to settle the claims for ₦8 billion.
Controversy later arose over the proposed payment of the settlement sum through the Benue State Government under the administration of former Governor Gabriel Suswam and disputes concerning who was properly authorised to represent the judgment creditors and receive professional fees.
Reacting to the LPDC’s direction, Gadzama rejected the findings and announced that he had instructed his legal team to file an appeal immediately.
The senior advocate said he issued his response before receiving or reviewing the Certified True Copy of the committee’s full decision.
Gadzama said the complaint accused him of improperly taking over another lawyer’s brief, soliciting clients and wrongfully appropriating professional fees, but maintained that the allegations were unfounded.
According to him, the judgment creditors personally retained him through written letters of instruction, and he acted strictly within the terms of that professional engagement.
He argued that the documentary evidence presented during the disciplinary proceedings did not support the findings made against him.
Gadzama further contended that the complaint arose principally from a dispute over legal representation and professional fees, which he maintained was not appropriately resolved through disciplinary proceedings.
“I was retained directly by the judgment creditors through written letters of instruction and acted throughout strictly in accordance with that professional retainer,” he stated.
“In my respectful view, the documentary evidence before the committee does not support the findings made against me.”
Gadzama said he remained committed to the rule of law and respected the institutions established to regulate the legal profession but firmly disagreed with the outcome of the proceedings.
He expressed confidence that the legal and factual questions arising from the case would be properly considered during the appellate process.
The senior lawyer also relied on Section 11(8) of the Legal Practitioners Act in maintaining that the LPDC’s direction would not become operative once an appeal was filed within the prescribed period.
Under the Act, an LPDC direction takes effect upon the expiration of the appeal period where no appeal is filed. Where an appeal is filed within time, the direction does not take effect unless the appeal is withdrawn, struck out for want of prosecution or dismissed.
Gadzama therefore assured his clients, colleagues and members of the public that his right to practise would remain unaffected pending the determination of a duly filed appeal.
The LPDC’s decision relates to Gadzama’s right to practise as a legal practitioner and does not, by itself, amount to a separate withdrawal of his rank as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Ulegede had not publicly issued a response to his two-year suspension at the time of publication.
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Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
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