LPPC suspends Mike Ozekhome’s SAN rank

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank of prominent constitutional lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome. The suspension is effective immediately and will remain in place pending the final resolution of disciplinary proceedings against him.

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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 decision, made at the LPPC's 173rd General Meeting on June 23, 2026, was announced in a statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Akanbi. The committee cited Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria as the basis for the suspension.

According to the statement, 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." Ozekhome has been directed to cease presenting himself as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria during this period. The LPPC reiterated its commitment to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics and ensuring public confidence in the SAN rank.

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pending the final determination of the disciplinary proceedings, presently before the Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee of the LPPC and other proceedings.

This suspension occurs amidst a series of legal challenges faced by Ozekhome. In January, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission filed criminal charges against him concerning allegations of fraud and forgery linked to a disputed property in London. The case involved claims of forged documents, including a Nigerian passport, used to assert ownership of the property. A UK tribunal had previously dismissed claims related to the property, citing evidence of fraud and impersonation. In March, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of the London property to the Nigerian government after no claimant successfully established ownership.

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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.”