JUST-IN: Federal Government Withdraws Alleged Forgery Charge Against Ozekhome

The federal government has withdrawn the criminal charge filed against senior lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama, Abuja, Tuesday, that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF) planned to take a holistic look at the case and decide on the best option to adopt.

The defence legal team led by Paul Erokoro (SAN) did not oppose the application by the Federal Government.

Justice Peter Kekemeke struck out the three-count charge in which Ozekhome was accused of forgery, among other things.

On January 29, Oyedepo had informed the court of the AGF’s decision to take over the case from the ICPC.

Oyedepo said the AGF was acting under his powers as provided in Section 174 of the Constitution in collaboration with the ICPC.

The DPPF said the AGF’s decision was informed by the need to ensure that the prosecution complies with the highest standards of effectiveness, efficiency, diligence, and compliance with due process of law.

He added that the AGF was guided by public interest to instill confidence, fairness, and competence in the criminal justice system.

Oyedepo said the AGF also considered the interagency cooperation in the fight against corruption in taking over the case.

He assured the court that the defendant’s rights would be protected, adding that no party would suffer any injustice.

Oyedepo subsequently asked the court to take judicial notice of the formal takeover of the trial by the office of the AGF.

He then sought an adjournment to enable the AGF’s office to retrieve the case file from the ICPC, review it, and decide on the next steps.