By Vivian Okejeme
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama and another lawyer, Ocha Ulegede, have been suspended for three year and two years respectively, from law practice by the Legal Practitioners and Disciplinary Committee(LPDC).
The LPDC suspended them following a petition with number BB/LPDC/1314/2024, by a Lawyer, Chris Alashi, over their roles in the case said to be a misconduct.
Justice Halima Ibrahim, who delivered the judgement of the committee asked the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to notify all superior courts of record in Nigeria.
In its judgement, the LPDC found the Respondents, Ocha Ulegede, Esq and J. K. Gadzama, SAN, liable for being in breach of various Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023.
Consequently, Ocha Ulegede, Esq was suspended from legal practice for two years with effect from the date of delivery of the judgement.
While J. K. Gadzama, SAN was suspended from legal practice for a period of three years from the date of the judgement.
The LPDC also directed that all the heads of superior courts of record in Nigeria should be notified of the direction.
The committee also said the Inspector-General of Police should be formally notified of the suspension from legal practice of the erring lawyers.
The court case over compensation for the Zaki Biam killings arose from the military operation carried out in Benue State in October 2001, following the killing of 19 soldiers.
During the operation, soldiers invaded Zaki Biam and surrounding communities, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and widespread destruction of property.
A group of survivors alongside 13 other victims, sued the federal government at the Federal High Court in Enugu.
They sought compensation for the deaths, destruction of property and alleged violations of their fundamental rights.
The plaintiffs were represented by lawyers including Sebastian Hon (SAN), Ocha Ulegede and Chris Alashi.
On July 5, 2007, Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Enugu, awarded the plaintiffs N41.8 billion as compensation against the federal government.
The federal government appealed the judgment to the Court of Appeal but later entered negotiations with the plaintiffs to settle the matter out of court.
During the negotiations, the parties reportedly agreed to reduce the compensation from N41.8 billion to N8 billion.
The proposed settlement later became after reports emerged that the compensation would be paid through the Benue State Government under then-Governor Gabriel Suswam.
The plaintiffs and their lawyers objected, arguing that the money should be paid directly to the successful litigants because the state government was not a party to the suit.
They also noted that the out-of-court settlement had not yet been adopted by the court.
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