Senior Advocate Mike Ozekhome Charged with Fraud, Forgery in Shocking UK Property Scandal

By Tgnews Reporter

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The Federal Government has escalated a high-profile international controversy by filing a three-count criminal charge against prominent Nigerian lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, over alleged forgery, fraud, and corrupt receipt of a disputed London property.

The charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026, was filed on Friday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja by prosecutors from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Led by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Head of the High Profile Prosecution Department, and Ngozi Onwuka, Assistant Chief Legal Officer, the case is brought on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The allegations stem from a contentious property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, which Ozekhome claimed ownership of following a purported gift from an individual named Shani Tali in August 2021.

The claim was rejected in a scathing September 11, 2025, judgment by Judge Ewan Paton of the UK’s First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in case REF/2023/0155.

The tribunal described the proceedings as built on “forgery and deception,” an abuse of process involving fabricated documents, impersonation, and a network of fraud linked to the estate of the late General Jeremiah Useni.

In the Nigerian charge:

-Count One accuses Ozekhome, aged 68 and resident at No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, of corruptly receiving the property as a felony under Section 13, punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

-Count Two alleges that, while a legal practitioner and SAN, he made a false document—a Nigerian international passport numbered A07535463 bearing the name Mr. Shani Tali—with intent to defraud, contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the FCT Abuja, 2006.

-Count Three charges him with dishonestly using the forged passport as genuine to support his ownership claim in the UK tribunal, knowing it was false, contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the same Penal Code.

Supporting evidence includes the UK tribunal judgment, an extra-judicial statement from Ozekhome dated January 12, 2026, and other exhibits. Nigerian authorities reportedly confirmed the passport was never issued and shows signs of tampering.

The ICPC launched its probe following the UK ruling and subsequent petitions, including one from the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), which highlighted alleged forgery of Nigerian identity documents to fraudulently claim the property.

Ozekhome has not yet been arraigned, and no trial date has been set. The case has drawn significant attention, with social media and news outlets buzzing over the implications for one of Nigeria’s most vocal legal figures.

This development marks a major turn in a saga that began in the UK courts and now unfolds in Nigeria’s judicial system, raising questions about cross-border fraud, document integrity, and accountability among high-profile individuals. Further proceedings are awaited as the matter proceeds.