FG slams Ozekhome With fresh 12-count charge over alleged UK property fraud
By Khubayb Adefaka
ABUJA — The Federal Government on Tuesday filed a fresh 12-count charge bordering on alleged forgery and abetment against prominent lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, over his purported involvement in a scheme to claim ownership of a disputed property in the United Kingdom.
The new charge, entered before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja, accuses Ozekhome of conspiring with Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, and the late General Jeremiah Useni to commit offences linked to the alleged fraudulent acquisition and control of a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2.
According to the charge, the Federal Government alleged that in 2020, Ozekhome and his co-defendants agreed to produce a false Nigerian International Passport bearing No. A07535463 in the name of “Tali Shani,” purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service. Prosecutors claimed the document was intended to support a claim of ownership over the UK property.
The alleged act, the government said, contravenes Section 96 of the Penal Code Law, 2009, and is punishable under Section 364 of the same law.
Ozekhome was further accused of abetting cheating by personation through the joint execution of an irrevocable power of attorney dated May 30, 2020, with an individual identified as Tali Shani, described in the charge as a fictitious person. The prosecution maintained that the document was used to facilitate the property claim, in violation of Sections 83, 84, and 321 of the Penal Code Law, 2009, and punishable under Section 322.
In Count 9, the Federal Government alleged that Ozekhome took control of the UK property, which it said was reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained by the late General Useni under the fictitious identity of Tali Shani. Count 10 alleged that he collected £18,000 in rental income accrued from the property during the period under investigation.
The late General Useni was listed as the second defendant in the charge, which was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
The latest development came hours after Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court struck out an earlier three-count charge filed against Ozekhome by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The charge was withdrawn on Tuesday by the Attorney-General of the Federation.
One of the counts in the fresh charge alleged that Ozekhome, Ponfa Useni, and the late General Useni, between 2023 and 2025 in Abuja, dishonestly used as genuine a false Nigerian International Passport issued in the name of Tali Shani, thereby committing an offence of forgery contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code Law, 2009, and punishable under Section 364 of the same law.
The case is expected to proceed before the FCT High Court in Abuja.
