The Legal Practitioners' Privileges Committee has suspended Mike Ozekhome's rank as Senior Advocate of Nigeria. This action takes effect immediately, pending the outcome of ongoing disciplinary proceedings.
Kabir Akanbi, chief registrar of the Supreme Court, announced the suspension on Wednesday. He said the decision came after the committee's 173rd General Meeting on June 23.
According to committee guidelines, the suspension follows Paragraph 26(6) of the SAN conferment rules. Officials stated the move protects the integrity and prestige of the senior lawyer rank.
In their statement, committee members said Ozekhome cannot present himself as a SAN during the proceedings. He must refrain from using the title until his case concludes.
Ozekhome faces trial on serious charges. He and Ponfa Useni, son of late FCT minister Jeremiah Useni, stand accused of passport fraud.
Both men were arraigned in February before Justice Chizoba Oji at the FCT High Court in Maitama. They each faced 12 counts and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The court granted them bail of N10 million each in February. Each man also needed one surety with property in the FCT.
At the heart of the case is a London property dispute. The contested property sits at 79 Randall Avenue, NW2 7SX in the United Kingdom.
A UK tribunal examined competing claims to the residence. Ozekhome claimed he received it as a gift from Tali Shani in 2021.
However, another party claiming to be Tali Shani disputed his ownership. The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration heard the case under reference number REF/2023/0155.
During UK proceedings, a witness testifying for Ozekhome claimed he held powers of attorney. He said he transferred the property to the senior advocate.
The rival claimant asserted ownership dating back to 1993. This person claimed Jeremiah Useni managed the property as his business partner.
Supporters of the rival claim submitted numerous documents to the tribunal. These included an obituary, a national ID card, an ECOWAS passport, and phone records.
But the tribunal rejected all submitted documents as fraudulent. Investigators found they were fake.
In a stunning ruling, the tribunal declared neither version of Tali Shani actually existed. It dismissed all claims before it without awarding the property to anyone.
