BREAKING: Nigerian Govt Charges Senior Advocate Ozekhome With Fraud, Forgery Over Late Gen. Useni’s London Property

The case, filed under charge number FCT/HC/CR/010/26, was instituted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja Judicial Division, has formally opened a criminal case against Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, over allegations involving a property in London and the use of a falsified Nigerian passport.

The case, filed under charge number FCT/HC/CR/010/26, was instituted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The defendant, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, aged 68, and resident at No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, faces three counts relating to the alleged receipt of property abroad, forgery, and fraudulent use of false documents.

Count One alleges that sometime in August 2021, Chief Ozekhome, while outside Nigeria in London, received a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, purportedly given to him by one Mr. Shani Tali. The act, prosecutors claim, constitutes a felony under Section 13 and is punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Count Two charges Ozekhome with making a false document while in Abuja during the same period. Prosecutors state that he allegedly created a Nigerian passport, numbered A07535463 and bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali, intending to use it to support a claim of ownership over the London property. This act is said to contravene Section 363 and is punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.

Count Three alleges that Ozekhome dishonestly used the falsified passport as a genuine document to substantiate the claim to the London property, despite having reason to believe the document was false. This, according to the prosecution, constitutes an offence under Section 366 and is punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the FCT, Abuja, 2006.

The charge sheet was signed on January 16, 2026, by Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, Head of the High Profile Prosecution Department, and Ngozi Onwuka, Assistant Chief Legal Officer at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Headquarters, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The High Court has yet to announce a date for the hearing of the charges.

Background

In September 2025, SaharaReporters reported that a long-running ownership battle over a London property had taken a dramatic turn after the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) ruled that the house, registered under the name Tali Shani, in fact belonged to the late Nigerian General Jeremiah Timbut Useni.

The case began with a dispute over the property in question, located at 79 Randall Avenue, in the Brent area of North West London, first purchased in 1993.

The title was registered in the name “Tali Shani,” but over the years, questions emerged about who this person really was and whether the name concealed the true beneficial owner.

What began as a routine property registration application evolved into a complex tale of false identities, offshore accounts, and high-level Nigerian political intrigue.

False Names and Fabricated Identities

Tribunal Rules London Property Belongs to Late General Useni’s Estate, Dismissing Ozekhome’s Claim

A tribunal presided over by Judge Ewan Paton ruled that the London property belongs to the estate of the late General Useni, dismissing claims by Ozekhome, and the purported owners using the name “Tali Shani.”

The tribunal found that both “Ms. Tali Shani” and “Mr. Tali Shani,” who had appeared in the proceedings, were impostors and not genuine owners of the property.

Investigations by the Nigeria Police Force, including checks on a National Identification Number (NIN) and a mobile phone bill linked to the name, confirmed that the identities were fabricated. The mobile bill cited as evidence was traced to a Lagos-based solicitor, further undermining the claim of the so-called Shani camp.

The case centred on Ozekhome’s attempt to assert ownership through a purported transaction, while the “Shani” group claimed entitlement to the house. Throughout the proceedings, the tribunal repeatedly questioned the credibility of the evidence presented, highlighting inconsistencies and the absence of verifiable documentation.

A key development came from the tribunal’s review of testimony previously given by General Useni in June 2024, before his death in January 2025.

Useni, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator, and military officer, was linked to the original purchase of the London property. Documentation from Jersey courts showed that Useni had used the false name “Tali Shani” to conceal offshore assets.

Based on these findings, the tribunal concluded that Useni had been the true purchaser of the property in 1993 and had registered it under a false identity. Ozekhome’s application to register an interest in the property was struck out, and the claims of the supposed “Tali Shani” were dismissed.

The ruling reaffirmed that the London house is part of the late General Useni’s estate. The tribunal noted contradictions in previous legal authorities cited during arguments but emphasized that beneficial ownership clearly belonged to Useni.

“I find that a large number of documents in this case have been produced or procured by forgery or deception, including: all “identity” documents put forward on behalf of the Applicant- the Statement of Case and all witness statements said to be made by her- a plainly fake and fraudulent witness statement, purporting to have been made by General Useni emailed by him directly to the Tribunal- letters and other communications from alleged doctors at a hospital in Lagos where it was claimed the Applicant was being treated, and from where it was claimed she was about to give video evidence- her alleged death certificate- even the supposed notice of her funeral and burial rites produced by Mr. Obasi,” the UK court said.

“It is not possible or necessary for me to make definitive findings on who was ultimately behind the above matters, or precisely how each forgery or fraud was committed.”

“The final outcome of this case, therefore, is that both parties have failed. Neither “Tali Shani” was who they said they were, and neither was the person who purchased this property in 1993. The real owner, via a false name, was General Jeremiah Useni,” the court ruled.

In October 2025, the AGF and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), expressed deep concern over the rising number of complaints against senior lawyers in Nigeria and hinted at prosecuting those found culpable.

Speaking at a special court session to mark the beginning of the Supreme Court's 2025/2026 Legal Year and the inauguration of 57 senior advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Fagbemi lamented the rot in the Nigeria judiciary.

Fagbemi revealed that his office had been receiving several complaints against senior members of the bar, bordering on professional misconduct.

The AGF specifically highlighted the UK judgment involving Ozekhome and the late General Useni over the disputed London property.

According to Fagbemi, the Tribunal judgment, given by Judge Paton ruled that the late General Useni was the true owner of the disputed property, purchased in 1993 under the false identity of Tali Shani.

Fagbemi announced plans to probe the conduct of senior lawyers involved in the case.

"It is for this reason that my office has now taken the unusual step of verifying the authenticity of this and other complaints with a view to referring them to the appropriate disciplinary bodies," he said.

"I look forward to receiving the cooperation of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Body of Senior Advocates in this regard."