The Federal Government has withdrawn the charge on alleged property fraud filed against the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Professor Mike Ozekhome.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) announced the latest development on Tuesday while seeking an adjournment to enable him further study the case file.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had dragged Prof Ozekhome before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on a three-count charge bordering on property forgery.
Available information indicated the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had informed the Court that the AGF was taking over the case from ICPC and asked for an adjournment.
Addressing the Court at its resumed sitting, Oyedepo said the AGF instructed him to withdraw the instant charge against the defendant pursuant to Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
He said the withdrawal was to enable the AGF strengthen his review of all cases being handled by all the agencies of government.
However, Paul Erokoro (SAN), counsel for the defendant, who led over 15 SANs and another retinue of lawyers, had no objection to the application for withdrawal of the charge.
Based on this development, the Court subsequently struck out the instant charge.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, the case file, marked FCT/HC/CR/010/26, and dated January 16, 2026, had Ozekhome as the sole defendant.
The three counts charged obtained from ICPC indicated thus: Count one alleges that Ozekhome, sometime in August 2021 or thereabouts in London, within the jurisdiction of the court, directly received House 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, purportedly given to him by one Mr Shani Tali.
The act he knew constitutes a felony, and thereby he committed an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In count two, Ozekhome was alleged to have, sometime in August 2021 or thereabouts, while being a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, made a false document with a Nigerian passport, A07535463, bearing the name of Mr Shani.
Furthermore, the ICPC alleged that the senior lawyer did this with a plan to use the same to support a claim of ownership of property known and described as “79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 78X with intent to commit fraud.”
The anti-graft agency said the offence is contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.
In Count three, the ICPC accused Ozekhome of dishonestly using as genuine a false “Nigeria passport A07535463, bearing the name of Mr Shani Tali” to support a claim of ownership of property known and described as “79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX” when he had reason to believe that the said document was false.
The anti-corruption Commission said the offence is contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006. – With NAN reports
