The Federal Government has instituted a criminal case against Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, over allegations of using forged documents in a property dispute involving a United Kingdom-based asset.
According to reports, the three-count charge was filed on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The case was submitted by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Head of High-Profile Prosecutions at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alongside Ngozi Onwuka, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Ozekhome is alleged to have presented a falsified Nigerian passport and other forged documents to support his claim to a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
The alleged offences were said to have occurred in August 2021 at Maitama, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court. The charges include providing false information, using forged documents, and attempting to mislead a public authority.
The Federal Government is expected to call investigators and an official of the Nigerian Immigration Service as witnesses. Documents to be tendered as evidence include tribunal judgments, statements, official correspondence, and passport records. A trial date is yet to be fixed.
The case stems from a dispute over the London property involving Ozekhome and the late retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni. The matter was earlier heard before the UK First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under case number REF/2023/0155, with Shani Tali listed as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
Ozekhome had claimed that the property was gifted to him by Shani Tali in 2021, a claim disputed by Tali’s representatives, who maintained that she was the rightful owner.
During the tribunal proceedings, a witness identified as Tali Shani testified in support of Ozekhome, asserting that he had authority over the property and had transferred ownership to him. However, documents submitted by Shani Tali’s team, including passport and national identification records, were ruled false by the tribunal.
In its ruling, the tribunal dismissed all claims made under the Tali Shani name and recognised the late Jeremiah Useni as the legitimate owner of the property.