From Victor Osula, Abuja
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, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola Akanbi.
The committee said the suspension, approved pursuant to Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, would remain in force pending the outcome of proceedings before its Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee and other related matters.
“The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), at its 173rd General Meeting held on 23rd June 2026, approved the suspension of Chief Mike Ozekhome from the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” the statement said.
It directed the senior lawyer to immediately stop presenting himself as a SAN for the duration of the suspension.
“Accordingly, Chief Mike Ozekhome shall refrain from parading himself, presenting himself, or otherwise holding himself out as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the final determination of the disciplinary proceedings”, the committee stated.
The action of the LPPC may not be unconnected to a long-running ownership dispute over a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London, and criminal charges subsequently instituted against Ozekhome by the Federal Government.
The dispute was the subject of proceedings before the United Kingdom First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration under case number REF/2023/0155. During the proceedings, Ozekhome claimed that the property had been gifted to him in 2021 by one “Mr Tali Shani.”
However, the claim became embroiled in controversy after lawyers representing “Ms. Tali Shani” asserted that she was the rightful owner of the property. In its ruling, the tribunal dismissed the competing claims, holding that neither “Mr. Tali Shani” nor “Ms. Tali Shani” existed and determining that the actual owner of the property was the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd).
Following the tribunal proceedings, the Federal Government filed a three-count charge against Ozekhome in January 2026. The charges border on receiving property alleged to be proceeds of a felony, making a false document and dishonestly using a forged document as genuine.
According to the charge, Ozekhome allegedly relied on forged documents, including a Nigerian passport purportedly issued in the name of “Mr Tali Shani”, to support his ownership claim before the UK tribunal. The prosecution further alleged that the senior lawyer knowingly received the property from a fictitious person and subsequently used the disputed passport document to advance his claim.
In a related development, the Federal High Court in Abuja in March ordered the final forfeiture of the London property to the Federal Government after no claimant successfully established ownership before the court.
Akanbi said the LPPC’s decision was aimed at preserving the integrity, dignity and prestige of the SAN rank while due process takes its course.
“The LPPC remains committed to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics, integrity and discipline within the legal profession and to ensuring that the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria continues to command public confidence and respect”, he said.
Ozekhome, a professor of law and one of Nigeria’s most prominent constitutional lawyers, had not publicly reacted to the suspension as of the time of filing this report.
The SAN rank is Nigeria’s highest professional distinction for legal practitioner.
