Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama has struck out a suit instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The ICPC filed a three-count charge alleging forgery against Ozekhome on 16 January 2026. Ten days later, on 26 January, the Attorney-General of the Federation assumed conduct of the matter.
At the previous hearing, counsel to the Attorney-General, Rotimi Oyedepo, assured the court that the prosecution would be handled with the utmost efficiency, diligence and observance of due process.
However, at Tuesday’s sitting scheduled for Ozekhome’s arraignment, Oyedepo applied to withdraw the charge.
He informed the court that the Attorney-General’s office required additional time to review and harmonise issues arising from various investigative agencies in order to reinforce the case.
Justice Kekemeke granted the application and accordingly struck out the matter.
Ozekhome, 68, had been prosecuted by the ICPC.
The three-count charge was lodged before the FCT High Court in Abuja in January by the ICPC’s Head of High Profile Prosecution Department, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, alongside Assistant Chief Legal Officer, Ngozi Onwuka, acting on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
The senior lawyer was alleged to have knowingly tendered forged documents, including a Nigerian passport, to substantiate his claim of ownership of a property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-tier Tribunal.
The alleged offences were said to have been committed in August 2021 in the Maitama district of Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
According to the charge sheet, the three counts relate to the provision of false information, the use of forged documents, and an attempt to mislead a public authority.