By Opeyemi Adelakun
Senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome has been suspended from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against him.
The decision was taken by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) during its 173rd general meeting held on June 23.
In a statement issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi, the committee said the suspension would remain in place until all disciplinary and related proceedings before its ethics and disciplinary panel are concluded.
According to the LPPC, the action was taken to protect the integrity and prestige associated with the SAN title while the allegations against Ozekhome are being examined.
The committee directed the senior lawyer to refrain from presenting himself as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria for the duration of the suspension.
Ozekhome is currently facing trial alongside Ponfa Useni, son of the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jeremiah Useni, over allegations linked to the use of a forged Nigerian passport in a property dispute before a court in the United Kingdom.
The two men were arraigned before a High Court in Abuja earlier this year on a 12-count charge. They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
At the centre of the dispute is a property located in London, which became the subject of competing ownership claims.
Court records show that Ozekhome maintained that the property was gifted to him in 2021. However, the matter later generated controversy after conflicting claims emerged over the identity and ownership records linked to the property.
The UK tribunal handling the dispute reportedly questioned the authenticity of several documents presented during the proceedings and eventually dismissed the competing ownership claims.
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