The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has announced plans to review the alleged forgery case filed against senior advocate Mike Ozekhome, SAN, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The disclosure was made in court by the Counsel to the AGF and Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, during proceedings at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The development comes amid earlier moves by the ICPC to arraign Ozekhome over an alleged forgery linked to a United Kingdom property transaction, a move now put on hold pending the AGF’s intervention.
At the resumed hearing, counsel announced their appearances, with Osuebeni Akpomesingha representing the ICPC and Kanu Agabi, SAN, a former AGF and Minister of Justice, appearing for the defendant.
“The Attorney-General has resolved to take over the matter from the ICPC pursuant to the powers conferred on his office by Section 174 of the Constitution.”
The intervention would ensure “the highest standard of effectiveness, efficiency, diligence, and compliance with due process of law.”
The decision, he said, was guided by public interest and the need to instill “confidence, fairness, and competence in the criminal justice system.”
Oyedepo further assured the court that the defendant’s rights would be protected and that no party would suffer prejudice, after which he formally applied for the AGF to take over the trial, a request the ICPC did not oppose.
Mike Ozekhome, SAN, was scheduled to be arraigned by the ICPC before an Abuja High Court over allegations bordering on forgery connected to a UK property transaction.
The arraignment scheduled for today was stalled following the AGF’s decision to intervene and review the case file.
The AGF’s move in the Ozekhome case is part of a broader pattern of constitutional intervention in criminal proceedings initiated by law enforcement and anti-graft agencies.
In recent years, the Office of the Attorney-General has exercised its powers to discontinue or reassess prosecutions after reviewing case files.
The AGF previously discontinued a criminal case against three Ghanaian investors; Samuel Esson Jonah, Kojo Ansah Mensah, and Victor Quainoo, and a Nigerian lawyer, Abu Arome, over alleged forgery and share allocation.
Following submissions from counsel in the instant case, Justice Peter Kekemeke adjourned the matter until February 24 for arraignment, pending the outcome of the AGF’s review, which could either see the charges discontinued or allowed to proceed.