The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended human rights lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, from the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) pending the conclusion of ongoing disciplinary proceedings against him.

The suspension was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by Kabir Akanbi, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC. According to the statement, the decision was reached at the committee’s 173rd general meeting held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

“The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee at its 173rd General Meeting held on 23rd June, 2026, considered the matter and resolved to suspend Mike Ozekhome, SAN, from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the determination of the disciplinary proceedings against him,” the statement read.

Ozekhome, a well-known constitutional lawyer and vocal advocate for human rights and democratic governance, has been a Senior Advocate of Nigeria for many years. The suspension is a significant development in Nigeria’s legal community, as the SAN rank is one of the highest professional honours for legal practitioners in the country.

The LPPC, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, is the body responsible for conferring and regulating the SAN rank. No further details were provided in the statement regarding the specific allegations leading to the disciplinary action.

This is the latest in a series of high-profile cases involving senior members of the Bar facing regulatory scrutiny. Further updates are expected as the disciplinary proceedings progress.

Panic gripped residents on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, after a three-storey building under construction collapsed along Peter Odili Road, near Eterna Filling Station, opposite Chief Sam Ngbor Avenue in the highbrow area of the Rivers State capital.

Construction workers were on site when the structure suddenly caved in around 10 a.m., trapping several people beneath the rubble. Reports indicate one person is feared dead, while scores of others remain trapped. Eyewitnesses said about eight workers were inside the building at the time of the collapse, with at least three to four rescued alive so far and receiving treatment at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

Emergency responders, police, and local volunteers have mobilized to the scene, using excavators and manual efforts to search through the debris. Rescue operations are ongoing amid concerns that more victims may still be trapped.

This incident marks the second building collapse in Port Harcourt within 24 hours, raising fresh alarms about construction standards and safety regulations in the state. The Rivers State Government is expected to launch a full investigation into the cause, which may include structural defects, substandard materials, or regulatory violations.

Authorities have urged the public to stay away from the site to allow emergency teams unimpeded access. Further updates on casualties and the full extent of the damage are awaited as rescue efforts continue.

The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has awarded N10 million in general damages against the Federal Republic of Nigeria over the physical assault, unlawful arrest, and seizure of property belonging to Mr. Jide Oyekunle, a journalist with Independent Newspaper.

The landmark judgmemt in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/29/25, was secured by Avocats Sans Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France) on June 22, 2026, under its eRIGHTS project, supported by the European Union, which focuses on defending human rights in the digital space.

Oyekunle, current Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council and a former Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, was physically assaulted and unlawfully detained.

His camera was damaged, and his mobile phone was seized by armed police officers on the order of the former FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, at Eagle Square, Abuja, on August 1st, 2024, while he was covering the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.

The Court agreed with Counsel to the applicant, Collins I. Maidoh-Anene, Esq., that the Nigerian police’s detention of the journalist and seizure of his mobile phone were excessive, unjustified, and in violation of international law.

The ECOWAS Court subsequently found the Federal Republic of Nigeria liable for violating the applicant’s rights to freedom of expression, personal liberty, dignity, and property under the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

The Court therefore ordered the Nigerian government to pay Mr. Oyekunle the sum of N10 million in general damages.

In a statement signed by the Country Director of Avocats Sans Frontières France, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, on Tuesday, she said the judgment sends a clear message that a journalist’s digital tools are extensions of the modern press and newsroom, and that their arbitrary confiscation by security forces constitutes a direct assault on the public’s right to know.

According to Angela, “the Court’s pronouncement adds to the growing jurisprudence from the regional court protecting journalists and human rights defenders who document protests and public interest events.”

ASF France will continue to monitor compliance with the judgment and provide legal aid to journalists facing similar violations.