Suspended But Not Silenced: The Rise and Battles of Mike Ozekhome -By Dokpesi Timothy ADIDI

Mike Ozekhome is from Iviukwe-Agenebode in Edo State, Nigeria. Fearless individuals characterize the Iviukwe community in Agenebode. In appearance, they are very jovial and affable people. This is the kind of community Ozekhome comes from. To underscore his personality, Ozekhome is known to possess a traditional title known as Akpa Vighi Vighi (this translates to a supreme war commander/chief defender) of Edo Land. The title is not ceremonial. In Edo tradition, it is reserved for defenders of the people. For Ozekhome, the battlefield moved from the village square to courtrooms and newspaper columns. He is a community man who was born in his community and grew into semi-adulthood in the same community while acquiring formal education in a Catholic environment. Hence, his concept of justice, to some extent, is shaped by the social teachings of the Catholic Church. It is mostly like Ozekhome, who is voracious in reading, must have come across certain reading materials of the Catholic Church or must have been taught basic concepts or fundamentals of justice in Catholic Social Teachings (CST).  He attended St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School and St. Peter’s College, Agenebode, in Etsako East Local Government, Edo State. Hence, the Iviukwe spirit lives in him. Ozekhome is fearless and dogged. He has fought so many battles in life because of his fearless and indomitable spirit; he fought poverty to a standstill through formal education. In fact, it was through him that most people in the Iviukwe community began to see the value of education. As such, to members of the Iviukwe community, Ozekhome is a model despite his weaknesses as a human being. As such, to the Iviukwe community, this respectable Nigerian has brought the Iviukwe community to the limelight. The Iviukwe community, as at today, cannot be discussed without this constitutional warrior and fighter.

It is contestable to ascertain the level of Ozekhome’s integrity. This is largely because there are different layers of opinion or schools of thought about this rare legal breed. I do not belong to any school of thought. My admiration for this Iviukwe-born legal luminary is the fact of his dedication to justice. As a young Iviukwe child, I got to know him from a distance in the early 90s when he was a very young lawyer. Then, as a young lad, I would visit my village community from Kaduna during holidays. During these times, we would serve at the Holy Mass, and from the altar, I had this strong admiration for his personality as a lawyer. It was within these years that his voice began to emerge and evolve as one who fights for justice because of his relationship with the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (a man I also had and still have strong admiration for). In fact, Ozekhome and the late Gani Fawehinmi shared a close mentor-mentee relationship. Ozekhome honed his early legal career at Fawehinmi’s pro-masses law firm, ultimately rising to the position of deputy head of Chambers. Together, they co-founded the prestigious Nigerian Weekly Law Reports (NWLR) in 1985. This duo is a set of men whose articles I do not hesitate to read their articles in national dailies, in which they address matters of human rights, justice, and the rule of law. Three people have influenced me on my journey in the pursuit of knowledge and matters of justice, and they are Matthew Hassan Kukah, Mike Ozekhome, and the late Gani Fawehinmi. One cannot undermine the role they have played in democratic consolidation in Nigeria.

Mike Ozekhome, since the demise of his mentor and boss, has constantly engaged the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). He has never relented in the fight for human rights and justice after the demise of his boss. The indomitable Iviukwe spirit in Ozekhome’s blood seems to be even more awakened with the death of his boss. The death of his boss was the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Mike Ozekhome, as if there was a mantle given to him or an oath sworn between the duo that characterizes Ozekhome’s doggedness in the fight against a political structure where there was gross violation of human rights and political corruption. One cannot undermine the role Ozekhome played during the dark days of the military junta. During successive military juntas in Nigeria, he acted as a fiery pro-democracy activist, human rights defense attorney, and institutional reformer who actively fought against dictatorship. Alongside the late Gani Fawehinmi, Ozekhome, a lawyer, travelled across Nigeria to represent activists, journalists, and students detained without trial under draconian military decrees. In fact, in December 1987, he legally challenged the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida over its plans to remove petroleum subsidies, asserting the economic rights of ordinary citizens. On October 15, 1987, Ozekhome co-founded the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), which was the very first organized human rights league in contemporary Nigeria. The CLO became a primary instrument for documenting military atrocities and defending citizens’ rights. In 1998, during the height of General Sani Abacha’s brutal regime, he helped establish the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON). Led alongside Gani Fawehinmi, JACON spearheaded coalition-based, grassroots opposition to demand an end to military rule. Just like his boss, the Iviukwe-born legal luminary was not relentless in his anti-military advocacy; Ozekhome was targeted by state security agents just to ensure he was silenced and incarcerated so many times. More so, between 1986 and 1999, he was arrested and detained multiple times under various military regimes.

Ozekhome is not just brilliant; he is strategic. His kind of intelligence is visible amongst members of his community. On average, an Iviukwerian who has no formal education commands respect. Intelligent qualities are hardly scarce amongst the men, and as such, it speaks volumes of the kind of indigenous and traditional political systems where no voice is silenced in the Iviukwe community (Ozekhome knows his own community people, that even the least can call him to order when he is going off track). This was recently played out in a recent crisis in the Iviukwe community. This is the very reason the Akpa Vighi Vighi cannot be silenced with suspension or reduced to any form of political intimidation.  His historical trajectories of incarceration, intimidation, and violation of his rights would have silenced him long before now. Nonetheless, the indomitable spirit in him speaks volumes. He has fought the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and won. He has won cases in many situations with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Committee (ICPC). On many occasions in the Buhari-led administration, Mike Ozekhome defeated the Federal Government of Nigeria.

His contribution to the constitutional and legal framework of Nigeria cannot be undermined. At his age, Mike has not given up on Nigeria. It is difficult to ascertain if he has had any political appointments in the past or present. He has always used the Law to challenge the status quo. It would not be out of place if Ozekhome were to have tensions with the Tinubu administration. His recent suspension from the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), as many would suggest, is not unconnected to a plot to silence him because of his constant criticism of the political environment experiencing a huge democratic deficit and gap as the nation prepares for the 2027 elections. The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee suspended him from using the SAN rank. To Abuja, it was discipline. To Iviukwerians, it is another battle. To understand him, you must go beyond the suspension. You must go to the cells of military detention and to courtrooms where he reminded the state that “no one is above the law.” Discussing the issues regarding the fraud is not within the competence or jurisdiction of this article. It is not within the purview of the author to ascertain or determine the veracity and nature of the claims thereof; nonetheless, my interest is in the fact that no matter how he is perceived, he has made a huge sacrifice for Nigeria. With his achievements and battles, it will be difficult for him to overcome the Nigerian political gladiators. His suspension might be a welcome development, as the LPPC has set a standard for public officials who should resign when they are investigated.

The question now is simple: will this battle end differently? If he wins, it will not be news. Ozekhome has built a career on comebacks. If he loses, he remains human—capable of rising and falling. But one fact is clear. You do not silence an Akpakpa Vighi Vighi by removing a title. The Iviukwe spirit and the constitutional fights that come with it do not retire.