The federal government has filed a criminal charge against Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over alleged forgery and use of false documents in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.
The three-count charge marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026 was filed before a federal high court in Abuja on Friday by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, head of high profile prosecution department at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Ngozi Onwuka, assistant chief legal officer, on behalf of the attorney-general of the federation.
Ozekhome is accused of knowingly presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support his claim of ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal.
The alleged offences were committed sometime in August 2021 in the Maitama area of the nation’s capital, within the jurisdiction of the FCT high court.
The charge sheet contains three counts, bordering on giving false information, use of forged documents, and attempting to deceive a public authority.
THE CHARGE
COUNT ONE: That you Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M) ’68yrs’ of No. 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August, 2021 or thereabout at a place outside Nigeria i.e. London, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, directly received house 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX purportedly given to you by one Mr Shani Tali, an act you knew constitutes a felony and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 13 and punishable under section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences, Act, 2000.
COUNT TWO: That you Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M) ’68yrs’ of No. 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being a legal practitioner and senior advocate of Nigeria did make a false document, to wit: Nigeria passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr Shani Tali with intent to use same to support claim of ownership of property known and described as 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX with intent to commit fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 363 and punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.
COUNT THREE: That you Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M) ’68yrs’ of No. 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being a legal practitioner and senior advocate of Nigeria dishonestly used as genuine a false Nigeria passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr Shani Tali to support claim of ownership of property known and described a s 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX when you had reason to believe that the said document was false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.
The federal government listed several witnesses it intends to call during the trial, including its investigators and a representative of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Documents to be tendered as exhibits include the judgment of the London First-Tier Tribunal, extra-judicial statements, letters from relevant authorities, and passport data relating to Shani Tali.
The case is yet to be assigned a trial date.
BACKGROUND
The controversy involves a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
Named in the property dispute are Ozekhome, and Jeremiah Useni, a retired lieutenant-general who is now deceased.
It was filed at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration, UK, under case number REF/2023/0155, with Tali Shani as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
The property had been claimed by one ‘Ms Tali Shani on one hand and Ozekhome on the other.
Ozekhome said he received the house as a gift from ‘Mr Tali Shani’ in 2021, while lawyers for ‘Ms Shani’ insisted she was the rightful owner.
A witness known as ‘Mr Tali Shani had testified in favour of Ozekhome, claiming that he had “Powers of Attorney” over the property and had transferred the property to the respondent (Ozekhome).
Mr Tali Shani asserted ownership of the property from 1993 and claimed he later appointed Useni as his property manager, describing Useni as an “elder friend and business partner”.
On the other hand, several documents, including an obituary announcement, NIN card, ECOWAS passport, phone number, etc were tendered by witnesses of Ms Tali Shani to claim ownership of the property.
However, the tribunal found all the documents tendered for Ms Tali Shani to be fake.
The tribunal subsequently dismissed all claims, ruling that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed.
The court ruled that the real owner, via a false name, was Useni.
