The Federal Government on Tuesday formally discontinued the criminal proceedings it had initiated against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, over allegations of property-related fraud.

The withdrawal was announced by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, who exercised his powers to discontinue the case. Ozekhome had earlier been arraigned before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja. The prosecution was initially instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a three-count charge bordering on alleged property forgery.

At a previous court session, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the Attorney-General had taken over the matter from the ICPC. He requested time to allow the AGF review the case file thoroughly, prompting an adjournment.

When proceedings resumed, Oyedepo told the court that he had been directed by the Attorney-General to withdraw the charges in accordance with Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. He explained that the decision was part of a broader review of cases being handled by various prosecuting agencies, to enable the AGF conduct a more comprehensive assessment.

Counsel to Ozekhome, Paul Erokoro, who appeared alongside more than 15 other Senior Advocates of Nigeria and a team of lawyers, did not oppose the application for withdrawal. Following the unchallenged request, the court struck out the case.

The matter, filed under charge number FCT/HC/CR/010/26 and dated January 16, listed Ozekhome as the sole defendant.

According to the charges earlier brought by the ICPC, the first count alleged that in or around August 2021 in London, Ozekhome directly received a property located at House 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, purportedly from one Mr. Shani Tali. The commission claimed that he knew the transaction constituted a felony, thereby breaching Sections 13 and 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The second count accused the senior lawyer, while acting in his capacity as a legal practitioner and SAN, of allegedly creating a false document—specifically a Nigerian passport bearing the name Mr. Shani Tali and number A07535463. Prosecutors alleged that the document was intended to support a claim of ownership over the London property, with intent to commit fraud. This charge was said to contravene Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code applicable in the Federal Capital Territory.

In the third count, Ozekhome was accused of knowingly presenting the same passport as genuine in furtherance of the property ownership claim, despite allegedly being aware that the document was false. The ICPC maintained that this action violated Sections 366 and 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.

With the withdrawal of the charges, the court has now formally struck out the case, bringing the immediate proceedings against the senior lawyer to an end.