‘Phantom Owner’ Saga: FG Slams Forgery Charges on Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Over Disputed London Mansion

The Federal Government has instituted criminal proceedings against prominent constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, over alleged forgery and false representation arising from a controversial London property dispute that British judges ultimately described as involving a “phantom owner”.

The three-count charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026, was filed on Friday before a Federal High Court in Abuja by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The charge was signed by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Head of the ICPC High-Profile Prosecution Department, and Ngozi Onwuka, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer.
Alleged Forgery and False Claims
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 UK First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences were committed in August 2021, partly in London and partly in Maitama, Abuja, placing them within the jurisdiction of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
The Charges
The charge sheet contains three counts bordering on corruption, forgery and dishonest use of false documents:
Count One alleges that Ozekhome directly received the London property, purportedly given to him by one Mr Shani Tali, knowing that the transaction constituted a felony, contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Count Two accuses the SAN of making a false document — a Nigerian passport (No. A07535463) bearing the name Shani Tali — with intent to use it to fraudulently support a claim of ownership of the London property, contrary to Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code applicable in the FCT.
Count Three alleges that Ozekhome dishonestly used the same passport as genuine, despite having reason to believe it was false, to mislead authorities in asserting ownership of the property, contrary to Sections 366 and 364 of the Penal Code.

The Federal Government plans to call several witnesses during trial, including ICPC investigators and a representative of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Documents to be tendered include:
The judgment of the UK First-tier Tribunal
Extra-judicial statements
Correspondence from relevant authorities
Passport and identity records linked to Shani Tali
A trial date has not yet been fixed.

The criminal case stems from a bizarre UK property dispute involving Ozekhome and the late retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni.
The matter was heard by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), Land Registration, UK, under case number REF/2023/0155, with Tali Shani listed as applicant and Ozekhome as respondent.
Ozekhome told the tribunal that he received the property as a gift in 2021 from Mr Tali Shani. Lawyers representing Ms Tali Shani, however, claimed she was the rightful owner.
A witness presented as Mr Tali Shani testified in support of Ozekhome, stating that he had owned the property since 1993, granted powers of attorney, and transferred the house to the SAN. He described Useni as an “elder friend and business partner” who managed the property on his behalf.

In a dramatic twist, the tribunal rejected both claims.
Witnesses for Ms Tali Shani tendered documents including an obituary notice, NIN card, ECOWAS passport and phone records. The tribunal ruled that all the documents presented on her behalf were fake.
More significantly, the tribunal concluded that neither “Mr Tali Shani” nor “Ms Tali Shani” ever existed, describing both identities as fictitious.
The court ultimately held that the true owner of the property was Jeremiah Useni, who it found had operated under a false identity.
With the UK tribunal having dismissed all ownership claims and Nigerian authorities now alleging criminal forgery, the matter has escalated from a civil property dispute into a high-profile criminal prosecution, placing one of Nigeria’s most recognisable legal figures at the centre of an unfolding legal storm.