NBA Anti-Corruption Committee Joins AGF Probe into Ozekhome’s UK Property Scandal

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Anti-Corruption Committee has thrown its weight behind the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in a sensitive probe that could shake the foundations of Nigeria’s legal establishment.

At the centre of the storm is a controversial property dispute in the United Kingdom involving senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome, SAN, which has drawn scathing criticism from a London court.

On September 11, Judge Ewan Paton of the UK First-Tier Tribunal dismissed Ozekhome’s attempt to take ownership of a house at 79 Randall Avenue, North London. In a damning verdict, the judge described Ozekhome’s defence — backed by testimony from his son — as a “contrived story… invented to provide a plausible reason” for a 2021 property transfer. According to Judge Paton, the entire case was underpinned by a “network of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents,” adding that the original acquisition of the property by the late Lt. General Jeremiah Useni also carried serious credibility questions.

The tribunal heard disturbing allegations of fake National Identification Numbers (NINs), a forged ECOWAS passport, and the use of a fraudulently procured MTN line — all deployed to create fictitious individuals allegedly involved in the transfer process. Even Nigeria’s Supreme Court was mentioned in the UK proceedings, a development the NBA says has deeply embarrassed the country.

In a strongly worded statement issued on October 2, the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee welcomed the AGF’s decision to wade into the matter, warning that the credibility of Nigeria’s legal system was on the line. “This case raises weighty concerns about the role of legal practitioners, as well as the criminal conspiracy of civil servants who may have aided in tarnishing Nigeria’s image abroad,” the committee said.

The committee further called for criminal prosecution of officials implicated in the fraudulent documentation process and urged the Federal Government to move swiftly to protect Nigeria’s interest in the London property for possible restitution.

Beyond criminal sanctions, the NBA body also insisted that any lawyers found complicit should be referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) without delay. To ensure transparency, the committee proposed that two of its members — George Ekpungu and Bayo Akinlade — be included in the AGF’s investigative panel.

The NBA made it clear that it would resist any attempt to cover up the scandal. “The matter must not be swept under the rug,” it stressed, adding that the international reputation of the Nigerian bar — already under scrutiny — is at stake. For Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate long regarded as one of the country’s most outspoken lawyers, the fallout from this ruling threatens to overshadow his celebrated career. For the Nigerian legal profession, the case represents a defining test of whether the system can truly police itself.