By Uboh-Ekong Treasure
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has suspended Mr. Idris K. Thany, the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikorodu Branch, from legal practice for two years after finding him guilty of infamous professional misconduct relating to attempts to frustrate enforcement of a consent judgment. The suspension is effective 15 September 2025.
According to the LPDC decision, Thany was disciplined over his conduct in a long running land dispute involving members of the Elepe family of Ikorodu. The committee found that Thany took steps designed to obstruct or frustrate the enforcement of a consent judgment that had been entered by a Lagos State High Court (Justice Savage) on 26 March 2014.
The LPDC’s probe included allegations about a motion filed in November 2017, which purportedly bore the name, signature, stamp and seal of Thany’s sister, Khadijah Abolanle Thany. Khadijah told the committee she had been misled and that she did not prepare the motion, had not met the clients, and had not been paid; the LPDC accepted that she had been used and formally admonished her rather than suspending her. The committee described the overall conduct leading to the filing and the attempt to stall enforcement as an abuse of court process.
In its written findings, the LPDC said Thany’s behaviour amounted to a “despicable abuse of court process” and ruled that his actions breached several provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners. While there were allegations that persons were mobilised to physically frustrate enforcement, the LPDC said such claims could not be proved on the evidence before it.
As is standard in disciplinary matters of this kind, the committee directed the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to note the suspension on the Roll of Legal Practitioners and ordered publication of the decision in line with the Legal Practitioners Act including notification of judicial and law enforcement authorities and publication in official channels. The LPDC’s sanctions package therefore includes not only the two years suspension for Idris Thany but formal admonition of his sister and administrative steps to give effect to the committee’s orders.
Thany is a known figure in local bar politics: he previously served as chairman of the NBA Ikorodu branch after winning branch elections in 2022. His suspension removes him from active practice for the period ordered and is likely to be recorded and publicised as required by the statutory regime governing legal discipline in Nigeria.
