Breaking: FG Sues Mike Ozekhome Over Multi-Million Property Fraud

The Federal Government has initiated a criminal case against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over allegations of using forged documents in a property dispute in the United Kingdom.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The three-count charge was filed at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, head of high-profile prosecutions at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Ngozi Onwuka, acting on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Ozekhome is accused of submitting a falsified Nigerian passport and other forged documents to support his claim to a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. The alleged offences reportedly occurred in August 2021 in Abuja’s Maitama district, which falls under the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.

The charges include giving false information, using forged documents, and attempting to mislead a public authority. The Federal Government intends to call investigators and a representative from the Nigerian Immigration Service as witnesses. Evidence to be presented is expected to include tribunal judgments, statements, official letters, and passport records. The trial date is yet to be scheduled.

The dispute concerns the London property and involves Ozekhome and the late retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni. The case was initially filed at the UK First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under case number REF/2023/0155, with Shani Tali as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.

Ozekhome claimed that the property was gifted to him by Shani Tali in 2021. However, Tali’s representatives insisted that she was the rightful owner. During the tribunal proceedings, a witness identified as Tali Shani supported Ozekhome, stating he had authority over the property and that it had been transferred to him.

Despite this, the tribunal found that key documents presented by Shani Tali’s team, including national identification and passport records, were false. The court ultimately dismissed all claims under the Tali Shani name and recognized Useni as the legitimate owner of the property.