In a major legal victory, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has overturned the five-year suspension earlier imposed on the Attorney General of Imo State, C. O. C. Akaolisa, by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).
The apex court's ruling comes nearly four years after the LPDC, in July 2021, sanctioned Akaolisa over allegations of professional misconduct.
He was accused of using his office to influence the release of a murder suspect who was undergoing trial at the time. The six-member disciplinary panel deemed his actions inappropriate and slammed him with a five-year suspension from legal practice.
However, following a string of legal battles challenging the committee’s decision, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, found the LPDC’s ruling to be deeply flawed and procedurally defective.
Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, who read the lead judgment on behalf of the five-member Supreme Court panel, stated that the committee’s findings lacked merit.
“Having considered the arguments presented by counsel, the court found the appeal of the appellant meritorious, and it is hereby allowed,” Idris said.
“The decision of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) delivered on the 9th of July 2021, finding the appellant liable for infamous conduct and suspending him from legal practice for a period of five years, is hereby set aside,” he ruled.
The decision restores Akaolisa’s legal standing and paves the way for him to resume his duties as the chief law officer of Imo State.
Legal analysts have hailed the ruling as a reaffirmation of the judiciary's role in safeguarding due process, while others see it as a controversial but landmark judgment that could shape future disciplinary procedures within the Nigerian legal profession.