BREAKING:FG Slams 12-Count Criminal Charge On Ozekhome, SAN, Co-Defendant Over Alleged Forgery, London Property Scam

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a fresh 12-count charge against Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome, SAN, and Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over alleged conspiracy, forgery, personation and unlawful control of a property in the United Kingdom.
In the charge instituted by the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the defendants are accused of forging a Nigerian International Passport and other documents to support a claim to a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2.
The late General Jeremiah Useni was also named in several counts as a co-conspirator.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 in Abuja to forge Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani,” purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service, with the intent of using the document to advance their claim to the London property.
Counts 1 and 2 allege that the defendants agreed to commit an illegal act by forging the passport and subsequently making the false document between May 30, 2020 and 2021, contrary to Sections 96 and 363 of the Penal Code Law 2009 and punishable under Section 364.
In Count 3, the defendants were accused of conspiring in 2022 to use the alleged forged passport as genuine to facilitate their claim to the property, while Count 4 alleges that they dishonestly used the document as genuine between 2023 and 2025.
Counts 5 and 7 specifically accused Useni of false personation and cheating by personation. The charge alleges that on or about May 30, 2020, Useni falsely presented himself as “Tali Shani,” described as a fictitious person, and executed an irrevocable Power of Attorney in that name in connection with the property claim.
Chief Ozekhome was accused in Counts 6 and 8 of abetting the offences of personation and cheating by personation by jointly executing the said irrevocable Power of Attorney dated May 30, 2020, with the alleged fictitious identity to facilitate the property claim.
In Count 9, the prosecution alleged that Ozekhome, sometime in 2022 in Abuja, had under his control the property at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London, which is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained by the late Useni using the fictitious name.
Count 10 further alleges that Ozekhome had under his control the sum of £18,000, said to be part of rent accrued from the London property, reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
Counts 11 and 12 allege that the defendants conspired in 2023 to forge a document titled “Re: Request for Authentication of Nigerian Passport No. A07535463 Belonging to Mr. Tali Shani,” dated May 4, 2023, purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service to strengthen their claim to the property.
The offences are said to contravene various provisions of the Penal Code Law 2009, including Sections 83, 84, 96, 179, 319A, 321, 322, 363, 364 and 366.
The charge was signed by Oyedepo Iseoluwa Rotimi, SAN, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, and A.R. Tahir, Chief State Counsel, for the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
In an affidavit deposed to by a litigation officer in the Federal Ministry of Justice, the prosecution stated that investigation into the matter had been substantially concluded and that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants.
Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni are currently in EFCC custody, while a date for their arraignment is expected to be fixed by the FCT High Court.