The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Tuesday withdrew the criminal charge filed by the Federal Government against Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN) over alleged property fraud.
Ozekhome had been arraigned before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on a three-count charge bordering on alleged property forgery. The case was instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
At an earlier sitting, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed the court that the AGF had taken over the matter from the ICPC and sought an adjournment to enable a review of the case file.
When the matter resumed, Oyedepo told the court that he had been instructed by the AGF to withdraw the charge pursuant to Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. He explained that the withdrawal was to allow the AGF to strengthen his review of cases handled by relevant agencies.
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Counsel to Ozekhome, Paul Erokoro (SAN), who led a team of over 15 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other lawyers, did not object to the application.
Following the development, the court struck out the charge marked FCT/HC/CR/010/26, dated and filed on January 16, in which Ozekhome was the sole defendant.
In the charge sheet earlier obtained from the ICPC, the first count alleged that Ozekhome, sometime in August 2021 in London, directly received a property located at 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, purportedly from one Mr. Shani Tali, knowing that the act constituted a felony. The offence was said to be contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The second count alleged that Ozekhome, in August 2021, while acting as a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, made a false document — a Nigerian passport bearing number A07535463 in the name of Mr. Shani — with the intent to support a claim of ownership of the same London property. The ICPC said the offence was contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, 2006.
The third count accused him of dishonestly using as genuine the said Nigerian passport, allegedly knowing it to be false, to support his ownership claim to the property. The commission stated that the offence was contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the same Penal Code.
