By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), has dismissed a petition filed by Sukazeem Property Venture Ltd owned by Alhaji Sufianu Ayinde Kazeem, popularly known as Sukazeem, against Ibadan based legal practitioner, Olawale Ojoge-Daniel.
The committee made the decision on November 25, 2024, in a case with suit No: BB/LPDC/472/2024.
The ruling, which put an end to years of legal and social media battles, reaffirmed the LPDC’s commitment to justice and its refusal to be manipulated as a tool for personal vendettas.
The committee was composed of: Justice Dr. Ishaq Bello (Chairman), Justice O.O. Daniel-Kalio, PJCA (member), Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, who is the Chief Judge of Niger state (member), Dr. Ben Uruchi Odon, Attorney General of Ebonyi State (member) and Fidelis Anyim, Attorney General of Benue State (member).
In giving the ruling, the LPDC said it would not allow itself to be used as an instrument to settle personal vendetta.
It was gathered that Sukazeem, owner of Sukazeem Property Venture Ltd. and Buzar Nigeria Limited was once a client of Ojoge-Daniel. Their professional relationship soured when he refused to honor a financial agreement for legal services rendered.
According to a ruling, despite a written contract, the Petitioner failed to make payment, leading to a dispute and rather than seeking a fair resolution, he resorted to a smear campaign, flooding social media with defamatory and misleading claims.
Determined to escalate his vendetta, the Petitioner filed ‘frivolous and baseless’ petitions with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Inspector General of Police.
Despite the false allegations, however, he went ahead and took his case to the LPDC, hoping to destroy his former lawyer’s reputation with a series of false claims, including an allegation that Ojoge-Daniel had practiced without a valid license, refused to share his legal fee with him and a host of other allegations.
During the LPDC proceedings, the petitioner’s deceit was fully exposed when it was discovered that he had filed the petition through Sukazeem Property Venture Ltd. and fraudulently presented one Kayode Adeyemo as a director. Investigations revealed that the information was entirely false and misleading, further discrediting his case and exposing the extent of his fabrications.
Following a review of the case, the LPDC ruled in favor of Ojoge-Daniel. In its decision, the committee stated that “the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee would not allow itself to be used as an instrument to settle personal vendetta.”
It was also concluded that Sukazeem lost on all fronts, as his petition was driven by malice, hate, and a desire for revenge, rather than any genuine legal grievance.
A legal practitioner who is privy to the matter said “With this decision, the LPDC has sent a strong message that it will not entertain vexatious petitions aimed at tarnishing the reputation of legal professionals adding that the ruling vindicates Ojoge-Daniel, who has always upheld the highest ethical standards in his practice.
“For those who have encountered defamatory publications against him, it is now evident that these were nothing more than the handiwork of an aggrieved former client who sought to use the LPDC as a weapon of destruction. Readers and the general public are advised to disregard any such false claims.
“Justice has prevailed, and the attempt to destroy a distinguished legal professional has ended in disgrace for Sukazeem.”
