A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has struck out a forgery charge filed against senior advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Kekemeke after the Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, applied to withdraw the charge.
The case originated from allegations brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
It stemmed from a London court judgment concerning a property linked to the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, General Jeremiah Useni.
At the resumed hearing, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), who appeared for the prosecution, informed the court that he had received instructions from the Attorney-General of the Federation to withdraw the charge pending further directives.
Oyedepo stated that the application was made pursuant to Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which allows for the withdrawal of charges before judgment.Defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), who led Ozekhome’s legal team, confirmed that the defence had no objection to the withdrawal.
Justice Kekemeke consequently struck out the charge, bringing the proceedings to an end without any determination on the merits of the allegations.
The development marks a significant relief for Prof. Ozekhome, who had maintained his innocence throughout the process.
No indication has been given as to whether the Federal Government intends to refile or pursue related investigations in the future.
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