The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended Chief Mike Ozekhome from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings against him.
The decision was announced in a press release issued by the Committee following its 173rd General Meeting held on 23 June 2026.
According to the statement, the LPPC approved Ozekhome’s suspension 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.
“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 read.
The Committee explained that the suspension would remain in force pending the determination of disciplinary proceedings currently before its Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee and other related proceedings.
“This action was taken 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, pending the final determination of the disciplinary proceedings, presently before the Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee of the LPPC and other proceedings,” the statement added.
The LPPC said the measure was necessary to protect the integrity and prestige of the coveted rank while the matters under review are resolved.
“The suspension is intended to safeguard the integrity, dignity, and prestige of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria while due consideration is given to the matters under review,” it said.
As part of the suspension, 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 further reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining ethical standards within the legal profession.
“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,” it stated.
The statement was signed by Kabir E. Akanbi, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Secretary of the LPPC.
Although the Committee did not disclose the reason for the suspension, Ozekhome is currently standing trial alongside Ponfa Useni, son of the late Jeremiah Useni, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over allegations of using a fake Nigerian passport in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.
The duo was arraigned in February before Justice Chizoba Oji of the FCT High Court, Maitama, on 12 counts. They pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were subsequently granted bail in the sum of N10 million each, with one surety in like sum. The court ordered that the sureties must own property within the FCT.
The case concerns a property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. Ozekhome and the late Jeremiah Useni, a retired lieutenant-general and former military administrator, are named in the dispute over the London property.
The criminal proceedings remain pending before the court.
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