- The Federal Government has filed a 12-count charge against Mike Ozekhome over alleged UK property fraud
- The case involves accusations of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation tied to property at 79 Randall Avenue, London
- The defendants allegedly forged documents and a passport from the Nigerian Immigration Service to support property claims
The Federal Government has filed a new 12-count charge against Chief Mike Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over allegations of conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, and unlawful control of a property in the United Kingdom.
The charges, instituted by the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the government, accuse the defendants of forging a Nigerian international passport and other documents to support their claim to a property at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2.
The late former FCT Minister, Jeremiah Useni, was mentioned in several counts as a co-conspirator.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 in Abuja to procure a false Nigerian international passport No. A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani,” which was purportedly issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service. The prosecution claims the document was intended to support their property claim in London.
Counts 1 and 2 allege that the defendants agreed to commit an illegal act by forging the passport and subsequently using the false document between May 30, 2020 and 2021, offences said to contravene Sections 96 and 363 of the Penal Code Law 2009 and punishable under Section 364.
Count 3 accuses them of conspiring in 2022 to use the alleged forged passport as genuine in pursuit of their property claim, while Count 4 alleges that they dishonestly used the passport as genuine between 2023 and 2025.
The government further alleged in Counts 5 and 7 that Useni falsely personated another individual and engaged in cheating by personation. It claimed that on or about May 30, 2020, Useni presented himself as “Tali Shani,” described as a fictitious person, and executed an irrevocable power of attorney in that name regarding the property claim.
In Counts 6 and 8, Ozekhome was accused of abetting impersonation and cheating by personation by jointly executing the power of attorney with the alleged fictitious person to facilitate the claim.
Count 9 alleges that in 2022, Ozekhome had control of the London property, which investigators suspected was unlawfully obtained by Useni using the fictitious identity.
Count 10 further claims that he controlled £18,000 believed to be part of rental income from the property and reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
In Counts 11 and 12, the prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired in 2023 to forge a document titled “Re: Request for Authentication of Nigerian Passport No. A07535463 Belonging to Mr Tali Shani,” dated May 4, 2023, and falsely presented it as an authentic document issued by the immigration authority to strengthen their claim.
The offences are said to violate several provisions of the Penal Code Law 2009, including Sections 83, 84, 96, 179, 319A, 321, 322, 363, 364, and 366.
In an affidavit of completion of investigation, a litigation officer from the Federal Ministry of Justice stated that the inquiry into the matter had substantially concluded and that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants. Both Ozekhome and Useni are currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The FCT High Court is expected to schedule an arraignment date.
Earlier, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) withdrew the initial three charges filed against Ozekhome. During proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, informed Justice Peter Kekemeke that the AGF had opted for a holistic review of the case.
Following the unopposed application by the defence team led by Paul Erokoro, the court struck out the charges.
On January 29, 2026, Oyedepo had previously notified the court that the AGF intended to take over the prosecution under Section 174 of the Constitution, which empowers the office to institute, take over, or discontinue criminal proceedings.
“The Attorney General was guided by public interest considerations and the need to instill confidence, fairness, and competence in the criminal justice system,” Oyedepo stated.
He added that inter-agency cooperation in combating corruption also influenced the decision to assume control of the prosecution.
The DPPF assured the court that the defendant’s rights would be protected and that no party would suffer injustice during the review.
Justice Kekemeke subsequently granted the application and struck out the earlier charge.