The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has discontinued the criminal proceedings instituted against Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, over alleged forgery.
The development was announced on Tuesday at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, where the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed Justice Peter Kekemeke of the decision.
Oyedepo told the court that the Attorney General had opted to review the matter comprehensively before deciding on the next step.
Following the application — which was not contested by Ozekhome’s counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN) — the court struck out the three-count charge filed against the senior lawyer.
The case was initially brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which accused Ozekhome of fraud, forgery and the use of false documents. The allegations were linked to a disputed property in London.
According to the prosecution, Ozekhome allegedly accepted a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, claiming it was gifted to him, and purportedly relied on a forged Nigerian passport to support that claim. Prosecutors argued that the alleged actions violated provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act as well as the FCT Penal Code.
On January 29, 2026, Oyedepo notified the court that the AGF had taken over the prosecution from the anti-graft agency. He explained that the move was made under Section 174 of the Constitution, which authorises the Attorney General of the Federation to initiate, assume control of, or discontinue criminal proceedings.
He said the takeover was done in collaboration with the ICPC and was intended to ensure the case meets “the highest standards of effectiveness, efficiency, diligence and compliance with due process.”
According to him, the Attorney General acted in consideration of public interest and the need to reinforce “confidence, fairness and competence in the criminal justice system.”
Oyedepo also cited inter-agency cooperation in the anti-corruption drive as a factor behind the decision to assume control of the matter. He assured the court that the defendant’s rights would be safeguarded and that no party would suffer injustice during the review process.
He subsequently asked the court to take judicial notice of the formal takeover and requested an adjournment to allow the AGF’s office retrieve and examine the case file from the ICPC.
Justice Kekemeke granted the request and struck out the charges.
