The Federal Government has filed a fresh 12-count criminal charge against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over the alleged use of a false Nigerian passport in connection with a property dispute in the United Kingdom.
The charge was filed on Tuesday at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja. Also named as a defendant is Ponfa Useni, son of the late Jeremiah Useni, a former Minister of the FCT. Court documents identify Ponfa Useni by the alias “Tali Shani”.
The new charge follows the withdrawal of earlier forgery charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The FCT High Court had struck out the earlier case after the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) took over the matter in January. The ICPC had initially filed a three-count charge on 16 January before the case was transferred to the AGF’s office on 26 January.
According to the new charge sheet, the government alleges that between May 2020 and 2021, Ozekhome, Ponfa Useni and the late Jeremiah Useni procured a Nigerian international passport numbered A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani”, purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The passport was allegedly used to support a claim of ownership over a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2, United Kingdom.
The prosecution contends that the act contravenes the Penal Code Law, 2009. It further alleges that in 2022 the defendants conspired to use the passport as a genuine document in support of the property claim. The charge also states that between 2023 and 2025, the defendants used the passport, thereby committing offences relating to forgery under the Penal Code.
Ponfa Useni is specifically accused of impersonating a person identified as “Tali Shani” in May 2020 and executing a Power of Attorney under that name. Ozekhome is alleged to have aided the act by participating in the execution of an irrevocable Power of Attorney connected to the disputed property.
The charges stem from a dispute over ownership of the property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. Proceedings concerning the property were filed before the UK First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under case number REF/2023/0155, with “Tali Shani” listed as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
In the tribunal proceedings, Ozekhome reportedly stated that he received the property as a gift in 2021 from “Mr Tali Shani”, who testified that he held powers of attorney over the property and transferred it. He also claimed to have owned the property since 1993 and to have appointed Jeremiah Useni as property manager.
Lawyers representing “Ms Tali Shani” submitted documents, including identification records, in support of the ownership claim. However, the tribunal found the documents to be false and dismissed the claims, holding that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed. It ruled that the property was held under a false identity linked to Jeremiah Useni.
The matter is now before the FCT High Court following the filing of the fresh 12-count charge.
