The Office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has recognised Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja as Executive Director and Ambassador Dahiru Aliyu as President of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS). This acknowledgement was contained in a letter dated March 10, 2026, with reference number CB:5180/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.43/41, and signed by Commissioner of Police Lateef Adio Ahmed, Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector-General of Police. The letter was addressed to the President of the Nigerian Law Society at No. 4 Sefadu Close, off Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Abuja.
According to Jaja, the development followed an earlier letter jointly signed by himself and Aliyu in their respective capacities as Executive Director and President of the NLS, congratulating the Inspector-General of Police on his appointment and swearing-in as the 18th indigenous IGP of Nigeria. The correspondence was titled “Congratulations on Your Appointment and Advocacy for Lawful Policing Reforms.” Jaja stated that the NLS received a certificate of registration dated December 30, 2025, which distinguishes it from another group involved in a separate dispute concerning the use of the Nigerian Law Society name.
The issue has generated competing claims, with Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN, publicly disputing communications attributed to an NLS executive council led by Aliyu in January 2026. Gadzama described the matter as connected to litigation involving the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Additionally, a September 2026 report said another NLS faction petitioned the Inspector-General of Police concerning alleged unauthorised use of the society’s name and institutional identity by Jaja, Aliyu and others.
Jaja maintained that the organisation he represents is an association focused on non-litigation areas of legal practice, rather than seeking to operate as a parallel body to the Nigerian Bar Association. He listed areas in which members of the organisation operate to include legislative drafting, legal education and research, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, company secretarial services, data protection and privacy, law revision and law reform.
According to Jaja, some members hold LLB degrees without having proceeded to the Nigerian Law School and Call to the Bar, while others are lawyers who have chosen professional areas that do not principally involve courtroom litigation. The NLS is collaborating with the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON) in relation to the “Blue Silk” rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN), which he described as a proposed recognition of excellence among non-litigation lawyers.
The Blue Silk issue is itself subject to an ongoing legal and professional dispute, with the NLS and BOSCON maintaining that they had authority to confer the SCN rank, while the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee had maintained that SAN remains the statutorily recognised senior rank for legal practitioners. Jaja said the latest clarification was intended to guide lawyers, government institutions and members of the public on the position of the organisation he represents.
Jaja urged stakeholders to distinguish between the different organisations and the ongoing legal proceedings while the relevant courts and authorities continue to address the disputed issues. The clarification comes as the NLS and other stakeholders seek to resolve the disputes surrounding the organisation's leadership, registration, and mandate.
Key points
- The Office of the Inspector-General of Police has recognised Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja as Executive Director and Ambassador Dahiru Aliyu as President of the Nigerian Law Society.
- The Nigerian Law Society received a certificate of registration dated December 30, 2025.
- The NLS is focused on non-litigation areas of legal practice, including legislative drafting, legal education and research, and arbitration.
