The Federal Government has instituted criminal proceedings against renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, over allegations that he relied on forged documents in a contentious property case in the United Kingdom.
According to court filings, a three-count charge was entered against Ozekhome at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday. The charges were filed on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, who heads the high-profile prosecutions unit of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alongside Ngozi Onwuka.
The prosecution alleges that Ozekhome presented a falsified Nigerian passport and other fabricated documents to bolster his claim to a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. Investigators contend that the alleged offences were committed in August 2021 within Abuja’s Maitama district, placing the matter under the jurisdiction of the Federal Capital Territory courts.
The charges border on providing false information, knowingly using forged documents, and attempting to mislead a public authority. As part of its case, the Federal Government intends to call several witnesses, including investigators involved in the probe and an official of the Nigerian Immigration Service. The prosecution is also expected to tender documentary evidence such as tribunal rulings, written statements, official correspondence, and passport records. A date for the commencement of trial has yet to be fixed.
At the heart of the case is a long-running dispute over ownership of the London property, which involved Ozekhome and the late retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni. The matter was previously brought before the UK First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under case reference REF/2023/0155, with Shani Tali listed as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
Ozekhome had maintained before the tribunal that the property was gifted to him in 2021 by Shani Tali. However, representatives of Tali challenged this claim, insisting that she remained the legitimate owner of the property.
During the tribunal hearings, a witness identified as Tali Shani testified in support of Ozekhome, claiming that Ozekhome had authority over the property and that ownership had been transferred to him. Nevertheless, documents submitted by Shani Tali’s legal team, including national identity and passport records, were declared fraudulent by the tribunal.
In its final decision, the UK tribunal dismissed all claims associated with the Tali Shani identity and upheld the late General Jeremiah Useni as the lawful owner of the disputed property, a finding that has now formed part of the basis for the criminal charges filed in Nigeria.
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