The Federal Government has commenced criminal proceedings against Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, over allegations bordering on document forgery and false representation connected to a disputed property in the United Kingdom.
Authorities allege that Ozekhome relied on falsified documents to advance ownership claims over a London residence at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First Tier Tribunal. The charges, filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, stem from actions traced to August 2021 and were instituted by prosecutors from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Court filings marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026 accuse the senior lawyer of presenting misleading information and forged identity records while asserting control of the UK property. Investigators claim the materials were deployed to influence the tribunal process in London.
One of the counts before the court states:
“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.”
Another count alleges that Ozekhome created a false Nigerian passport in the name of Shani Tali to reinforce his ownership position before the tribunal. It reads:
“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.”
A third allegation focuses on the alleged use of the forged document during the dispute. It adds:
“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 as 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.”
Prosecutors say they will rely on testimony from investigators and officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service, alongside documentary exhibits including tribunal judgments, written statements, official correspondence and passport data linked to Shani Tali. A hearing date has not yet been fixed.
The charges originate from a prolonged ownership battle over the London property involving Ozekhome and the late retired Lieutenant General Jeremiah Useni.
The dispute was earlier examined by the UK First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under reference REF/2023/0155, where Tali Shani appeared as applicant and Ozekhome as respondent. Ozekhome maintained that the house had been gifted to him in 2021 by “Mr Tali Shani,” while another party, “Ms Tali Shani,” asserted legal ownership.
During the tribunal proceedings, a witness identifying himself as Mr Tali Shani supported Ozekhome’s claim, saying he possessed “Powers of Attorney” over the property and transferred it to the senior advocate. He further claimed ownership dating back to 1993 and described Useni as an “elder friend and business partner” who managed the asset.
However, competing documents, including obituary records, NIN data, ECOWAS passport details and contact information were reviewed by the tribunal.
In its final decision, the UK court dismissed all claims, concluding that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed and that the property was ultimately linked to Useni through a false identity framework.
With the matter now before a Nigerian court, the Federal Government is seeking to determine whether forged materials were deliberately deployed to misrepresent ownership and influence judicial proceedings abroad.
Ademide Adebayo
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