The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome over his alleged involvement in a controversial property dispute in the United Kingdom, popularly known as the “Tali Shani affair.”
Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was taken into custody shortly after the Federal Capital Territory High Court struck out a three-count forgery charge earlier filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The court withdrew the case following a request by the Attorney-General of the Federation to enable the consolidation of investigations by multiple agencies.
Disputed London Property
At the centre of the controversy is a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. The dispute was heard at the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), where Ozekhome and a purported owner, Tali Shani, laid claim to the property.
Ozekhome has maintained that he received the property as a gift from Mr. Tali Shani in 2021. However, legal representatives for Ms. Tali Shani insisted she was the legitimate owner.
In a dramatic twist, the UK tribunal reportedly ruled that neither Mr. nor Ms. Tali Shani existed and dismissed all claims related to the property.
Fresh Charges Filed
Following the dismissal of the forgery charge, the federal government filed fresh 12-count criminal charges against the senior lawyer.
According to court documents, Ozekhome is accused of conspiring between 2020 and 2025 with Ponfa Useni and the late General Jeremiah Useni to use a false Nigerian international passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” to support ownership claims over the London property.
The charges, brought under the Penal Code Law 2009, include forgery, impersonation, conspiracy, and abetment.
In one of the filings, the government alleged 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.”
Prosecutors further claimed that he abetted Ponfa Useni in the preparation of a fraudulent Power of Attorney intended to reinforce the disputed ownership claim.
Awaiting Arraignment
Ozekhome remains in EFCC custody and is expected to be formally arraigned before the FCT High Court, Abuja, in the coming days.
Legal analysts say the case could test the boundaries of cross-border property disputes and document forgery allegations involving prominent Nigerians, potentially setting an important judicial precedent.
