The Federal Government has filed fresh criminal charges against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over the alleged use of a forged Nigerian passport in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.
The development follows an earlier FCT High Court ruling that struck out similar charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) after the Attorney-General of the Federation withdrew the case.
A 12-count charge was filed against Ozekhome at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Tuesday. The second defendant is Ponfa Useni, son of the late Jeremiah Useni, former FCT Minister.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants used the forged passport to support their claim to the London property.
In counts 1 and 2, the government alleged that the defendants agreed to commit an illegal act by forging the passport and subsequently making 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 accused them of conspiring in 2022 to use the alleged forged passport as genuine to facilitate their claim to the property, while Count 4 alleged that they dishonestly used the passport as genuine between 2023 and 2025.
Counts 5 and 7 specifically accused Useni of false personation and cheating by personation.
The prosecution alleged that on or about May 30, 2020, Useni falsely presented himself as “Tali Shani,” described as a fictitious person, and executed an irrevocable Power of Attorney in that name in connection with the property claim.
In counts 6 and 8, Ozekhome was accused of abetting the offences of impersonation and cheating by personation by jointly executing the irrevocable Power of Attorney dated May 30, 2020, with the alleged fictitious person to facilitate the property claim.
Count 9 alleged that Ozekhome, sometime in 2022 in Abuja, had under his control the property at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London, which investigators reasonably suspected was unlawfully obtained by the late General Useni using the fictitious name.
Count 10 further alleged that Ozekhome had under his control £18,000, said to be part of rent accrued from the London property, which investigators reasonably suspected was unlawfully obtained.
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 having been issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service to support their claim.
The charges contravene multiple provisions of the Penal Code Law 2009, including Sections 83, 84, 96, 179, 319A, 321, 322, 363, 364, and 366.
The charge was signed by Oyedepo Iseoluwa Rotimi, SAN, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, and A.R. Tahir, Chief State Counsel, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
An affidavit of completion of investigation deposed by a litigation officer in the Federal Ministry of Justice stated that the probe had substantially concluded and a prima facie case had been established against the defendants.
