The Federal Government has dragged senior advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, before the court over alleged forgery, false information and attempts to deceive authorities in a high-stakes United Kingdom property dispute.
The government filed a three-count criminal charge against the outspoken lawyer before a Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of using forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to claim ownership of a London property.
The charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026, was filed on Friday by prosecutors from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
According to court documents, Ozekhome allegedly presented forged materials during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal to support his claim over a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
The alleged offences were said to have been committed in August 2021, within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
Prosecutors accused the senior lawyer of knowingly dealing with a property said to have been “gifted” to him under circumstances he allegedly knew amounted to a felony.
He was also accused of making and using a false Nigerian passport bearing the name of one Mr Shani Tali to back his ownership claim.
The charges, which border on giving false information, forgery and the use of forged documents, carry serious penalties under Nigeria’s anti-corruption and criminal laws.
The Federal Government has lined up several witnesses for the trial, including investigators and a representative of the Nigerian Immigration Service.
Key exhibits expected to be tendered include the judgment of the London First-Tier Tribunal, passport records, official correspondence and extra-judicial statements.
The case is linked to a bitter ownership battle over the London property, which also involved the late retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni.
The dispute was earlier heard at the UK First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration under case number REF/2023/0155, with Tali Shani listed as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
While Ozekhome claimed the house was given to him as a gift in 2021 by ‘Mr Tali Shani’, lawyers for ‘Ms Tali Shani’ maintained she was the lawful owner.
A witness identified as ‘Mr Tali Shani’ testified in support of Ozekhome, claiming he had “Powers of Attorney” over the property and had transferred it to the senior advocate.
He also claimed ownership of the property since 1993 and described the late Useni as an “elder friend and business partner.”
The case has now shifted from a London property dispute to a full-blown criminal trial, placing one of Nigeria’s most prominent lawyers in the legal spotlight.
