A criminal charge has been filed by the federal government, before a high court in Abuja, against, a senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mike Ozekhome , over alleged forgery and use of false documents in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.
In the charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Ozekhome is accused of knowingly presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support his claim of ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal.
The alleged offences were committed sometime in August 2021 in the Maitama area of the nation’s capital, within the jurisdiction of the FCT high court.
The charge sheet contains three counts, bordering on giving false information, use of forged documents, and attempting to deceive a public authority.
Amongst others, the charge reads; That you Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M) ’68yrs’ of No. 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August, 2021 or thereabout at a place outside Nigeria i.e. London, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, directly received house 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SXpurportedly given to you by one Mr Shani Tali, an act you knew constitutes a felony and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 13 and punishable under section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences, Act, 2000.
The matter is yet to be assigned a judge.
The controversy involves a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
Named in the property dispute are Ozekhome, and Jeremiah Useni, a retired Lieutenant-General who is now deceased.
It was filed at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration, UK, under case number REF/2023/0155, with Tali Shani as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
The property had been claimed by one ‘Ms Tali Shani on one hand and Ozekhome on the other.
Ozekhome said he received the house as a gift from ‘Mr Tali Shani’ in 2021, while lawyers for ‘Ms Shani’ insisted she was the rightful owner.
A witness known as Tali Shani had testified in favour of Ozekhome, claiming that he had “Powers of Attorney” over the property and had transferred the property to Ozekhome.
The tribunal however found all the documents tendered for Ms Tali Shani to be fake and subsequently dismissed all claims, ruling that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed.
The court held that the real owner, via a false name, was Useni.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
