BREAKING: AGF Withdraws Forgery Charge Against Senior Lawyer Mike Ozekhome

By Emmanuel Kwada

The Federal Government has withdrawn a three-count criminal charge accusing prominent constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, of forgery and related offences linked to a disputed property in London.

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, presided over by Justice Peter Kekemeke, struck out the case on Tuesday following an application by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to withdraw the prosecution.

The charge, originally filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on January 16, 2026, alleged that Ozekhome knowingly presented forged documents including a Nigerian international passport bearing the name “Mr Shani Tali” to support his ownership claim over a property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings at the London First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

The alleged offences were said to have occurred around August 2021 in Abuja and London.

Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), counsel to the AGF, moved the application for withdrawal during the session scheduled for Ozekhome’s arraignment. Oyedepo explained that the AGF required additional time to review and consolidate issues involving multiple investigating agencies, aiming to strengthen any potential future proceedings.

The defence team, led by Paul Erokoro (SAN), did not oppose the application. Justice Kekemeke consequently struck out the suit.

The case stemmed from a civil property dispute in the UK involving Ozekhome, the late retired Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni, and an applicant using the name Tali Shani (both “Mr” and “Ms” variants).

Ozekhome claimed the property was gifted to him in 2021 by “Mr Tali Shani,” who testified via powers of attorney and described Useni as a property manager and business partner.

Counter-claims by “Ms Tali Shani” were supported by various documents, but the UK tribunal deemed them fake and ruled that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed as real persons. The tribunal ultimately identified the true owner (via a false name) as linked to Useni and dismissed competing claims.

The Nigerian criminal charge arose from these proceedings, with allegations that Ozekhome used false documents to advance his position.

The withdrawal comes after the AGF took over the matter from the ICPC in late January 2026, with assurances of diligent prosecution under due process.

No immediate indication has been given on whether the AGF will refile charges after further review.

Ozekhome, a well-known human rights advocate and legal commentator, has not issued a public statement on the development as of this report.

This follows broader discussions in anti-corruption circles about recent case withdrawals by the AGF, though officials maintain such moves are procedural to ensure robust handling.

The matter remains under potential review by federal authorities.