ALLEGED UK PROPERTY FRAUD: OZEKHOME SLAMMED WITH 12 ADDITIONAL COUNTS
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a new 12-count charge against Chief Mike Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over alleged conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, and unlawful control of a property in the United Kingdom.
According to the Federal Ministry of Justice, the defendants are accused of forging a Nigerian International Passport and other documents to support a claim to a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2. The late former FCT Minister, Gen Jeremiah Useni, is named in several counts as a co-conspirator.
The charges allege that in 2020, the defendants conspired in Abuja to obtain a false Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani,” supposedly issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service, intending to use it to support their claim to the London property.
Counts 1 and 2 state that the defendants agreed to forge the passport and subsequently used the false document between May 30, 2020, and 2021, contrary to 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 forged passport as genuine, while Count 4 alleges they used it dishonestly between 2023 and 2025.
Counts 5 and 7 specifically target Useni for false personation and cheating by personation, claiming he impersonated “Tali Shani” to execute an irrevocable Power of Attorney for the property. Counts 6 and 8 allege Ozekhome abetted the impersonation and cheating by jointly executing the same Power of Attorney.
Count 9 alleges that Ozekhome had control of the London property in 2022, suspected to have been unlawfully obtained, while Count 10 claims he held £18,000, allegedly part of the property’s rent, also suspected to be unlawfully obtained. Counts 11 and 12 accuse the defendants of conspiring in 2023 to forge a document titled “Re: Request for Authentication of Nigerian Passport No. A07535463 Belonging to Mr Tali Shani” to further their property claim.
The offences are said to contravene Sections 83, 84, 96, 179, 319A, 321, 322, 363, 364, and 366 of the Penal Code Law 2009. The charge was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, and Chief State Counsel, A.R. Tahir, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
An affidavit of completion of investigation confirmed that a prima facie case has been established, and Ozekhome and Useni are currently in EFCC custody. The FCT High Court will soon fix a date for their arraignment.
Earlier on Tuesday, three previous charges against Ozekhome were withdrawn by the Office of the AGF to allow a holistic review of the case. Justice Peter Kekemeke struck out the charges after the defence team led by Paul Erokoro raised no objections. The AGF cited public interest, fairness, and inter-agency cooperation in taking over the prosecution.
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