By Our Reporter
A coalition of youth organisations and civil society groups drawn from across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones has called for the immediate withdrawal of criminal charges against renowned legal practitioner, Mike Ozekhome, describing the case as an unjust criminalisation of a matter they say is essentially civil in nature.
In a world press statement issued on March 4, 2026, the Coalition of Geopolitical Youth Associations of Nigeria and Civil Society Organisations expressed what it described as “profound outrage and disappointment” over the prosecution of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) over a property gift transaction reportedly intended for registration in London.
The coalition accused the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, led by Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, of using the instrumentality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to pursue criminal charges in what they argued should be resolved through civil litigation.
According to the statement, turning the dispute into a criminal matter raises serious concerns about fairness, proportionality, and due process.
“The transformation of such a matter into a criminal prosecution sends a troubling signal to Nigerians and the international community that legal interpretation may be stretched beyond reason in matters that require civil adjudication, not criminal sanction,” the coalition said.
The groups further noted that a United Kingdom adjudicatory tribunal had reportedly found Ozekhome blameless in its judgment regarding the matter.
Describing Ozekhome as a prominent figure in Nigeria’s democratic and legal evolution, the coalition said the senior lawyer had spent decades defending constitutionalism, human rights, and the rule of law.
They also expressed concern that the case had previously been withdrawn by the Attorney-General before being revived, calling the development “painful and unacceptable.”
While acknowledging the intervention of the Attorney-General in assuming oversight of the matter under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the coalition insisted that oversight alone was insufficient and called for the termination of the proceedings.
The coalition argued that the continued prosecution risks undermining confidence in the legal profession and Nigeria’s justice system, particularly as other lawyers mentioned in the case have not been arraigned.
Among other demands, the groups urged the Attorney-General to exercise his constitutional powers under Section 174 of the Constitution to discontinue the charges, emphasising the need to protect due process and maintain public trust in anti-corruption institutions.
They also warned that prosecutorial actions perceived as excessive or selective could damage Nigeria’s international reputation and weaken youth confidence in democratic institutions.
The statement was jointly signed by youth leaders including Ambassador Olasunkanmi Kolawole of the North Central Youths Assembly of Nigeria, Dr Isah Abubakar of the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, Comrade Tochukwu Okoye of the Concerned Ndibo Youth Movement, and activist Olamilekan Oladimeji of the Oodua Youth Parliament, among others.
The coalition stressed that their demand was not a call for immunity from the law but for justice that is fair, impartial, and consistent with the principles of civil and criminal jurisprudence.
“Justice must never be weaponised, selective, retaliatory, or persecutory,” the statement concluded.