LPPC suspends Ozekhome’s SAN rank pending disciplinary proceeding
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee has suspended Chief Mike Ozekhome from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings against him.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi, following the committee’s 173rd General Meeting held on June 23.
According to the statement, 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 relating to the rank.
The LPPC said the suspension would remain in force pending the final determination of disciplinary proceedings before its Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee as well as other related proceedings.
“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,” the committee stated.
It consequently directed Ozekhome to refrain from parading himself, presenting himself or otherwise holding himself out as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the conclusion of the disciplinary proceedings.
The development comes as Ozekhome is standing trial alongside Ponfa Useni, son of the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jeremiah Useni, over allegations bordering on the use of a fake Nigerian passport in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.
The duo was arraigned before an FCT High Court sitting in Maitama in February on a 12-count charge and pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
They were subsequently granted bail in the sum of N10m each with one surety in like sum.
The controversy centres on a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London, over which competing ownership claims were made before a United Kingdom property tribunal.
According to court documents, Ozekhome claimed he received the property as a gift from one Mr Tali Shani in 2021, while another claimant, Ms Tali Shani, also laid claim to the property.
However, the tribunal reportedly dismissed the competing claims after finding that neither Mr Tali Shani nor Ms Tali Shani existed.
The LPPC did not provide further details of the disciplinary proceedings against Ozekhome as of the time of filing this report.
