KEY POINTS

• The LPPC suspended Chief Mike Ozekhome’s Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank.
• The committee acted pending disciplinary proceedings before its ethics sub-committee.
• The move follows fraud and forgery charges tied to a disputed London property.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee has suspended the Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank of constitutional lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome, pending the determination of disciplinary proceedings against him. The committee took the decision at its 173rd General Meeting on June 23, 2026.

Ozekhome SAN suspension to protect the rank

In a statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Akanbi, the committee said it approved the suspension under Paragraph 26(6) of the guidelines for conferring the rank. “The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, 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.

Moreover, the committee said the action would hold “pending the final determination of the disciplinary proceedings, presently before the Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee of the LPPC and other proceedings.” According to the committee, it acted to safeguard the integrity, dignity and prestige of the rank while it reviews the matters at hand. Consequently, it directed Ozekhome to stop presenting himself as a Senior Advocate during the suspension.

A string of legal troubles

Furthermore, the committee said it remained committed to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics and ensuring that the rank continues to command public confidence. The suspension comes amid a series of legal troubles for the senior lawyer in recent months.

In January, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission filed criminal charges against Ozekhome over allegations of fraud and forgery linked to a disputed property at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London. The Attorney-General of the Federation subsequently took over the case, while prosecutors alleged that forged documents, including a Nigerian passport, supported claims of ownership.

In addition, the London dispute drew international attention after a UK First-tier Property Tribunal dismissed claims advanced by Ozekhome and others, finding evidence of “fraud, impersonation, and forged documents” around the ownership of the house. Meanwhile, in March, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government, after no claimant established ownership. Ultimately, the LPPC framed its move as a measure to preserve trust in the legal profession while the disciplinary process runs its course.