The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has suspended Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joe-Kyari Gadzama, from legal practice for three years after finding him guilty of professional misconduct in connection with the long-running legal dispute over compensation for victims of the 2001 Zaki Biam killings in Benue State.

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The disciplinary committee delivered its decision on Wednesday following a petition filed by lawyer Chris Alash. Another legal practitioner, Ocha Ulegede, was also suspended for two years over the same matter. According to the LPDC, both lawyers violated provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023. The committee directed that all heads of superior courts across Nigeria be notified of the sanctions, which took immediate effect.

The case stems from the October 2001 military operation in Zaki Biam and surrounding communities, where more than 200 villagers were reportedly killed after the bodies of 19 soldiers were discovered in the area. In 2007, the Federal High Court in Enugu awarded victims ₦41.8 billion in compensation, though subsequent negotiations reportedly reduced the settlement to ₦8 billion. The payment process later became controversial over plans to channel the funds through the Benue State Government. Reacting to the LPDC ruling, Gadzama denied any wrongdoing, insisting he was properly engaged by the judgment creditors through written instructions. He disclosed that he has directed his legal team to appeal the decision, maintaining that the appeal allows him to continue practising law until the matter is finally determined under the Legal Practitioners Act.