Nigerian government has officially set the stage for the trial of a notable legal practitioner, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, over alleged forgery and use of false documents in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.
Sometime ago, HEDA Resource Centre petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate senior lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, his son Osilama Ozekhome, one Efemuai Mudiaga Kingsley, and their associates over alleged fraud, forgery of Nigerian identity documents, and an alleged unlawful attempt to acquire property in London.
A sense of this situation emerged with the filing of a criminal charge by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the human rights crusader and constitutional legal practitioner.
A three-count charge marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026 was filed against him at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Head of the High-Profile Prosecution Department at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Ngozi Onwuka, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF).
The senior lawyer is, among others, accused of knowingly presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support his claim of ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal.
The alleged offences were said to have been committed sometime in August 2021 in the Maitama area of Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
The charge contains three counts, bordering on giving false information, use of forged documents, and attempting to deceive a public authority.
Count One: That you, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M), 68 years, of No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at a place outside Nigeria, namely London, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, directly received a house at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX purportedly given to you by one Mr. Shani Tali, an act you knew constituted a felony, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Count Two: That you, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M), 68 years, of No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, did make a false document, to wit: Nigerian passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali, with intent to use same to support a claim of ownership of a property known and described as 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, with intent to commit fraud, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.
Count Three: That you, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M), 68 years, of No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, dishonestly used as genuine a false Nigerian passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali to support a claim of ownership of a property known and described as 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, when you had reason to believe that the said document was false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.
Nigerian government, in support of the trial, listed several witnesses, including its investigators and a representative of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), to testify during the trial.
The prosecution also intends to tender as exhibits the judgment of the London First-Tier Tribunal, extra-judicial statements, letters from relevant authorities, and passport data relating to Tali Shani.
The case has not been assigned to any judge for the formal arraignment of the senior lawyer.
BACKGROUND
According to The Cable, the controversy involves a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
Named in the property dispute are Ozekhome, and Jeremiah Useni, a retired lieutenant-general who is now deceased.
It was filed at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration, UK, under case number REF/2023/0155, with Tali Shani as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
The tribunal subsequently dismissed all claims, ruling that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed.
The court ruled that the real owner, via a false name, was Useni.
You can read details of the case here,
Background credit: The Cable