EFCC arrests Mike Ozekhome after court strikes out forgery charge over UK property dispute

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over his alleged involvement in a controversial United Kingdom property dispute widely referred to as the “Tali Shani affair.”

The arrest came shortly after an Federal Capital Territory High Court struck out a three-count forgery charge earlier filed against him.

Sources familiar with the development said the senior lawyer may be re-arraigned imminently on fresh charges.

At the heart of the controversy is a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, United Kingdom.

Read also: FG slams fresh 12-count charges against Mike Ozekhome over alleged passport forgery

The ownership tussle was litigated before the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under case number REF/2023/0155.

The case was instituted by one “Tali Shani” against Ozekhome. The property was claimed by both parties, with Ozekhome maintaining that he received the house as a gift in 2021 from “Mr Tali Shani.”

During proceedings in the UK tribunal, a witness identified as “Tali Shani” testified in support of Ozekhome, asserting that he had held powers of attorney over the property since 1993 and later appointed retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni, now deceased, as his property manager and business associate.

However, counsel representing “Tali Shani” tendered several documents , including an obituary announcement, National Identification Number (NIN) card, ECOWAS passport and phone records, in an attempt to establish ownership.

In its ruling, the tribunal reportedly found the documents presented in support of Ms Shani’s claim to be fraudulent and ultimately dismissed the case, holding that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had, on January 16, filed a three-count charge before the FCT High Court accusing Ozekhome of knowingly presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport during proceedings before the London tribunal to support his ownership claim.

Read also: Meet Mike Ozekhome, the senior advocate in the London property controversy

At Tuesday’s hearing, which was scheduled for arraignment, Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), applied to withdraw the charge.

He informed the court that the AGF’s office required additional time to review and harmonise issues arising from investigations conducted by multiple agencies in order to strengthen the prosecution’s case.

Following the application, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Kekemeke, struck out the charge.

Despite the withdrawal of the earlier case, the federal government on Tuesday filed a fresh 12-count charge against Ozekhome before the FCT High Court, Abuja.

In the new charge sheet, the government alleged that between May 2020 and 2021, Ozekhome, Ponfa Useni (also known as Tali Shani), and the late Jeremiah Useni conspired to create a false Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani,” purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service, with the intent of using it to support a claim over the London property.

The prosecution further alleged that the accused persons conspired in 2022 to use the allegedly forged passport as genuine in facilitating the property claim, contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Law 2009 and punishable under Section 364 of the same law.

According to the charge, Ponfa Useni allegedly impersonated a fictitious “Tali Shani” on May 30, 2020, and executed an irrevocable power of attorney in that assumed identity to support Ozekhome’s claim to the property.

The government also accused Ozekhome of abetting the alleged personation and forgery by accepting and executing the power of attorney, thereby facilitating his claim to the UK property.

The offences are said to contravene multiple provisions of the Penal Code Law 2009, including sections dealing with conspiracy, forgery, personation, cheating and abetment.