The Federal Government has brought criminal charges against prominent lawyer Mike Ozekhome, SAN, over allegations of document forgery connected to a property ownership dispute in the United Kingdom.
Three criminal counts were filed Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja under case number FCT/HC/CR/010/2026. Osuobeni Akponimisingha, who heads ICPC’s high-profile prosecution unit, and Ngozi Onwuka, an assistant chief legal officer, filed the charges on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The charges accuse the 68-year-old senior advocate of knowingly submitting falsified documents to the London First-Tier Tribunal while attempting to establish ownership of 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. Among the allegedly forged materials was a Nigerian passport bearing the name Shani Tali.
According to prosecutors, the offenses occurred in August 2021 in Abuja’s Maitama district, placing them within the Federal Capital Territory high court’s jurisdiction.
The three-count charge addresses giving false information, using forged documents, and attempting to deceive public authorities. The first count alleges Ozekhome received the London property from someone called Shani Tali in a transaction he knew constituted a felony, violating the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.
The second count claims he created a fraudulent Nigerian passport (number A07535463) in Shani Tali’s name to bolster his ownership claim, contrary to the Penal Code. The third count alleges he knowingly used this false passport despite believing it was fraudulent.
Government prosecutors plan to call investigators and a Nigerian Immigration Service representative as witnesses. Evidence will include the London tribunal’s judgment, statements, official correspondence, and passport records for Shani Tali.
No trial date has been set.
The underlying property dispute involved Ozekhome and the late Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni, filed at the UK’s First-tier Tribunal under case REF/2023/0155.
Competing ownership claims came from “Ms Tali Shani” and Ozekhome. The senior advocate maintained he received the house as a gift from “Mr Tali Shani” in 2021, while opposing counsel insisted their client was the legitimate owner.
A witness identifying himself as “Mr Tali Shani” supported Ozekhome’s position, claiming he held power of attorney over the property and had transferred it to the lawyer. This witness asserted he owned the property since 1993 and later appointed Useni as property manager, calling him an “elder friend and business partner.”
Witnesses for “Ms Tali Shani” presented various documents including an obituary, National Identity Number card, ECOWAS passport, and phone records to establish ownership.
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The tribunal ultimately determined all documents submitted for “Ms Tali Shani” were fraudulent. It dismissed all claims, ruling that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani actually existed, and concluded the true owner using the false identity was Useni himself.
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