ABUJA, Nigeria — The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank of prominent constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, Chief Mike Ozekhome, pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings against him.
The decision was taken at the committee’s 173rd General Meeting held on June 23, 2026, and announced in a statement issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola Akanbi. The suspension was approved pursuant to Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and All Matters Pertaining to the Rank.
According to the committee, the suspension will remain in force pending the final determination of disciplinary proceedings currently before its Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee and other related proceedings. The LPPC stated that the action is intended to safeguard the integrity, dignity, and prestige of the SAN rank while due consideration is given to the matters under review.
During this period, Ozekhome is directed to refrain from parading himself, presenting himself, or otherwise holding himself out as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The committee emphasised its commitment to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics, integrity, and discipline within the legal profession and to ensuring that the SAN rank continues to command public confidence and respect.
While the LPPC did not disclose specific details of the complaints against Ozekhome, the suspension is understood to be connected to a long-running ownership dispute over a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London. In September 2025, a UK property tribunal dismissed claims over the property, finding that the case before it was built on forged documents and impersonation. The tribunal rejected Ozekhome’s claim that the property was transferred to him in 2021 by a man identified as Tali Shani.
Following the tribunal’s judgment, the Federal Government filed criminal charges against Ozekhome in January 2026, bordering on receiving property alleged to be proceeds of a felony, making a false document, and dishonestly using a forged document as genuine. He was subsequently re-arraigned on amended charges alongside Ponfa Useni, son of the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd), who was determined by the UK tribunal to be the actual owner of the property.
Ozekhome, a professor of law, is one of Nigeria’s most prominent constitutional lawyers and human rights activists, with a decades-long career involving several high-profile cases across the country. The suspension marks a significant moment in Nigeria’s legal community, as disciplinary actions involving holders of the prestigious SAN title are relatively rare.
