Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama has struck out the alleged forgery suit instituted against Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome.
The three-count charge was originally filed on January 16, 2026, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing the 68-year-old legal luminary of forgery-related offences.
However, the matter took a new turn on January 26 when the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, assumed control of the prosecution.
At the previous hearing, counsel representing the Attorney-General, Rotimi Oyedepo, assured the court that the case would be pursued with utmost diligence, efficiency, and strict adherence to due process. Yet, when the matter came up on Tuesday for Ozekhome’s arraignment, Oyedepo informed the court of an application to withdraw the charge.
He explained that the Office of the Attorney-General required additional time to review and harmonise issues arising from multiple investigative agencies in order to properly assess and potentially strengthen the prosecution’s case.
In a brief ruling, Justice Kekemeke granted the application and struck out the suit.
The charges, filed before the FCT High Court in Abuja by ICPC’s Head of High-Profile Prosecution Department, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, alongside Assistant Chief Legal Officer, Ngozi Onwuka, alleged that Ozekhome knowingly presented forged documents — including a Nigerian passport — in support of his claim to ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. The documents were said to have been tendered during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences occurred in August 2021 within the Maitama district of Abuja and fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
The three counts bordered on giving false information, using forged documents, and attempting to mislead a public authority.
With the case now struck out, the next steps—if any—will depend on the outcome of the Attorney-General’s review.
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