Shekinat Abubakar
The E Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome over his alleged involvement in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom, widely referred to as the “Tali Shani affair”.
Ozekhome was taken into custody shortly after a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court struck out an earlier three-count forgery charge filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The court had withdrawn the case following a request from the Attorney-General of the Federation to allow for consolidation of investigations by multiple agencies.The controversy centres on a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
The dispute, filed at the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), pitted Ozekhome against a purported owner, Tali Shani, with both claiming legitimate ownership.Ozekhome asserts he received the property as a gift from Mr Tali Shani in 2021, while legal representatives for Ms Tali Shani claimed she was the rightful owner.
The UK tribunal later ruled that neither Mr nor Ms Tali Shani existed, dismissing all claims.Following the dismissal of the forgery charge, the Federal Government filed fresh 12-count criminal charges against Ozekhome.
The charges alleged that between 2020 and 2025, he, along with Ponfa Useni and the late General Jeremiah Useni, used a false Nigerian international passport in the name “Tali Shani” to support ownership claims over the London property.
The charges include forgery, impersonation, conspiracy, and abetment, under the Penal Code Law 2009.In court filings, the government stated that Ozekhome “conspired to use as genuine a false Nigerian International Passport… to facilitate [his] claim to a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2, United Kingdom.”
The charges further allege that Ozekhome abetted Ponfa Useni in the creation of a fraudulent Power of Attorney to reinforce his claim.
Ozekhome is currently in EFCC custody and is expected to be formally arraigned on the fresh charges in the FCT High Court, Abuja, in the coming days.
Legal experts suggest that the case could set significant precedent regarding cross-border property disputes and document forgery involving high-profile Nigerians
