The long-running controversy surrounding a London property at 79 Randall Avenue, NW2, has taken a new turn as the Federal Government filed fresh criminal charges against Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, over alleged passport forgery and related offences.
The 12-count charge, lodged on Tuesday before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, and readily obtained by ENigeria Newspaper, also names Ponfa Useni, son of the late former FCT Minister, Jeremiah Useni, as a co-defendant. Court documents identify Ponfa with the alias “Tali Shani,” a name central to the disputed ownership of the UK property.
According to the prosecution, the defendants are accused of conspiring to create and deploy a false Nigerian international passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” in order to advance a claim over the London property. The alleged offences, said to have occurred between 2020 and 2025, include conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and cheating under the Penal Code Law, 2009.
Part of the charge sheet reads that, “That you, Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome, SAN, Male, Adult of 55 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, Ponfa Useni (aka Tali Shani), Male, Adult of 12 Dagash M. Street, Kado Estate, Phase 1, Abuja, and General Jeremiah Useni (now deceased), sometime in 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to use as genuine a false Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 with the name Tali Shani to facilitate your claim to a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2, United Kingdom, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 of the Penal Code Law 2009 and punishable under section 364 of the same Law.”
The charge further alleges that a Power of Attorney dated May 30, 2020, was executed using the assumed identity, with the intention of strengthening ownership claims. Prosecutors contend that the document and passport were used as part of a coordinated effort to validate the disputed property transfer.
It says, “That you Ponfa Useni (aka Tali Shani), Male, Adult of 12 Dagash M. Street, Kado Estate, Phase 1, Abuja on or about the 30th day of May,2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court falsely personated Tani Shani, a fictitious person and with such assumed character made a Power of Attorney wherein you held yourself out as Tali Shani and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 179 of the Penal Code Law 2009 and punishable under the same section of the same Law.
The fresh case follows earlier forgery proceedings initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Recall that ENigeria Newspaper reported that the matter was later withdrawn after the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the prosecution, leading to the charges being struck out earlier this year.
The property dispute had previously been examined by the UK First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) under a land registration case. During those proceedings, conflicting claims emerged from individuals identified as “Mr Tali Shani” and “Ms Tali Shani,” both asserting ownership rights. Various documents were tendered to support the claims.
However, the tribunal dismissed all submissions, ruling that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed. It concluded that the property had been linked to an assumed identity.
With the new charges now before the FCT High Court, the matter returns to Nigeria’s judicial system for determination of Mike Ozekhome’s case.
