The Federal Government, through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has initiated criminal proceedings against prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome.
The case involed allegations of forgery and the use of false documents in a contentious UK property case.
In a three-count charge filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja (FCT/HC/CR/010/2026), Ozekhome is accused of fabricating and knowingly presenting a forged Nigerian international passport to substantiate his claim of ownership of a London property located at 79 Randall Avenue, NW2 7SX.
The charges, filed on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, allege that the senior lawyer committed the offences in August 2021. The core of the accusation centres on Ozekhome purportedly receiving the property as a gift from one ‘Mr. Shani Tali’ and subsequently using a passport bearing that name as proof of the transaction during a London tribunal hearing.
The specific charges include:
· Count One: Directly receiving the London property, an act alleged to constitute a felony under the Corrupt Practices Act.
· Count Two: Making a false document—a Nigerian passport in the name of Shani Tali—with intent to commit fraud.
· Count Three: Dishonestly using the said forged passport as genuine to support his ownership claim.
The case stems from a complex property dispute heard in the UK’s First-Tier Tribunal, where Ozekhome and the late former Minister, Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni, were named. Ozekhome had contended he received the house as a gift from ‘Mr. Tali Shani’. However, the UK tribunal, in a prior ruling, found that documents presented by both parties claiming the identity of “Tali Shani” were fraudulent and dismissed the claims, suggesting the property’s real owner was the late General Useni using a pseudonym.
The Federal Government has listed investigators and a representative from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) among its witnesses. Key exhibits to be presented include the UK tribunal’s judgment, extra-judicial statements, and official passport data.
The case, which highlights an international dimension to Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, is yet to be assigned a trial date.
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