The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has formally taken over the prosecution of Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, in the alleged fraud charges brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Ozekhome, a prominent constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, was to be arraigned over allegations of forgery and the use of false documents in connection with a disputed property in the United Kingdom.
Proceedings, however, could not commence after the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) informed the court of its decision to assume control of the prosecution.
When the matter was called, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, announced his appearance on behalf of the AGF and notified Justice Peter Kekemeke that the takeover was pursuant to Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the Attorney-General to superintend, take over, and conduct criminal prosecutions in the public interest.
Addressing the court, Oyedepo said the decision to take over the matter from the ICPC was informed by the need to collaborate with the anti-graft agency in reviewing the case file to ensure that the prosecution meets the highest standards of effectiveness, efficiency, diligence, and strict compliance with due process in the interest of justice.
He explained that the intervention was guided solely by public interest and the imperative to strengthen public confidence in the criminal justice system, adding that it was the constitutional responsibility of the Attorney-General to ensure that prosecutions conducted in the name of the Federation are pursued with fairness, competence, and legal robustness.
Oyedepo assured the court that the rights of the defendant would be fully respected, that the prosecution would be conducted with the utmost professionalism, and that no party would suffer any prejudice as a result of the takeover.
He further stated that the court’s time would be judiciously utilised and described the move as part of inter-agency cooperation and prosecutorial oversight aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption and related offences.
He therefore urged the court to take judicial notice of the takeover and sought an adjournment to enable the OAGF retrieve the case file from the ICPC, thoroughly review it, and determine the next line of action.
Earlier, Dr. Osuebeni Akpomesingha Akpos, Head of the High Profile Prosecution Department of the ICPC, announced his appearance for the prosecution, while a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, led a team of 15 Senior Advocates of Nigeria for Ozekhome, who is the sole defendant in the matter.
Counsel to the ICPC did not object to the takeover and assured the court of the Commission’s full cooperation, noting that the ICPC was the agency that investigated the case.
By consensus of counsel, Justice Kekemeke adjourned the matter to February 24, 2026, for arraignment.
In the charge marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026, filed on January 16, 2026, in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the ICPC accused Ozekhome of knowingly presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support a claim of ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal.
The Commission alleged that the senior lawyer gave false information, used forged documents, and attempted to deceive a public authority in the course of the proceedings.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences were committed sometime in August 2021, partly in London and partly in the Maitama area of Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
One of the counts alleges that Ozekhome directly received the London property, purportedly given to him by one Mr. Shani Tali, knowing that the act constituted a felony, contrary to Sections 13 and 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Another count accuses him of making a false Nigerian international passport bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali with intent to use it to support the ownership claim over the London property, contrary to Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code Laws of the FCT, 2006.
He is further alleged to have dishonestly used the said passport as genuine, knowing it to be false, in furtherance of the alleged fraud.
Ozekhome has yet to take his plea in the matter.
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