The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended prominent lawyer Mike Ozekhome from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against him.

The decision was announced on Wednesday by the committee’s secretary and Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi, following the LPPC’s 173rd meeting held on Tuesday.

According to the committee, the suspension was effected in line with Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of SAN and will remain in force until disciplinary proceedings before its Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee, as well as related matters, are concluded.

The LPPC directed Ozekhome to refrain from presenting or parading himself as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria during the period of suspension, stating that the move is aimed at protecting the integrity, dignity and prestige of the SAN rank.

Although the committee did not disclose the specific complaints against the senior lawyer, Ozekhome has recently been linked to an ongoing legal dispute involving a London property. He faces allegations of forgery, impersonation and the use of false documents in connection with the property, claims he has consistently denied.

In February, the Federal Government re-arraigned Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni before an FCT High Court in Abuja on a 12-count charge bordering on forgery and impersonation related to the property dispute.

The LPPC reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining high standards of ethics and professionalism within the legal profession, stressing that the SAN rank must continue to command public confidence and respect.

The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is the highest honour conferred on legal practitioners in the country and carries special privileges, including precedence in court proceedings and recognition within the legal community.