Breaking: Court Approves ₦10m Bail For Ozekhome, Co-Accused In Alleged Forgery Case

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama on Friday granted bail in the sum of ₦10 million each to Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, and his co-defendant, Ponfa Useni, following their arraignment on a 12-count criminal charge.

According to Ireporter Online, the charges were instituted by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation over allegations bordering on the forgery of key documents, including an international passport and an irrevocable power of attorney. The documents were allegedly used in an attempt to claim ownership of a property in London reportedly linked to the late Jeremiah Useni.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charges were read in court. The prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), did not oppose the bail applications filed on behalf of the defendants by their respective counsel.

In a brief ruling, Justice Chizoba Oji admitted both defendants to bail in the sum of ₦10 million each with one surety apiece. The court stipulated that each surety must be a property owner within the Federal Capital Territory. The judge further directed the defendants to surrender their international passports to the court as part of the bail conditions.

Justice Oji noted that as the proceedings were held on a Friday, the defendants could return home if they were unable to immediately meet the bail requirements. However, she ordered them to report back to court on Monday to perfect the conditions, warning that failure to do so would result in their remand in custody.