A criminal case has been opened against Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mike Ozekhome over allegations involving a London property and a falsified Nigerian passport.
The case, filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, includes three counts: receiving a property abroad, forgery, and using a false document.
The allegations stem from Ozekhome’s claim to a property in London, allegedly given to him by Mr. Shani Tali.
The case was filed under charge number FCT/HC/CR/010/26.
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.
Meanwhile, a UK tribunal ruled in 2025 that the property belongs to the estate of late General Jeremiah Timbut Useni, dismissing Ozekhome’s claim.
The tribunal found that “Tali Shani” was a false identity used by Useni to conceal offshore assets.
However, the Nigerian Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, has expressed concern over the case and announced plans to probe Ozekhome’s conduct.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has yet to set a hearing date.
