The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has assumed control of the criminal prosecution initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against senior advocate Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
The development halted Ozekhome’s scheduled arraignment before a Federal Capital Territory High Court on a three-count charge filed by the ICPC, which includes allegations of forgery.
At the court session, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed the court that he was representing the Attorney General and announced the federal government’s decision to take over the case, citing the constitutional powers of the AGF under Section 174 of the Constitution.
Counsel to the ICPC, Osuebeni Akpomisingha, did not oppose the takeover, while Ozekhome’s defence counsel, former Attorney General of the Federation Kanu Agabi (SAN), who led a team of 15 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, also raised no objection.
Following an unopposed request for adjournment by Oyedepo, Justice Peter Kekemeke adjourned the case to February 24 for arraignment.
The matter is connected to a protracted dispute over a London property allegedly linked to the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jeremiah Useni. A Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier fixed January 26 to rule on the final forfeiture of the property after no representative of Useni’s estate appeared within the statutory period to contest the action.
The forfeiture process arose from an ex parte application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in late 2025, alleging the property was acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity. An interim forfeiture order was granted on November 28 by Justice Binta Nyako, with directives for public notice to allow interested parties to establish lawful ownership.
The property, located at 79 Randall Avenue, London, also features in proceedings involving Ozekhome and the late Useni before a UK property tribunal.
