London Tribunal Indictment: Ozekhome Faces Fresh Trouble As Justice Reform Project Files Misconduct Petition Before LPDC

The storm is far from over for fiery human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome, as a damning London court judgment has triggered a major professional misconduct petition against him before Nigeria’s Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

The petition, filed on October 27, 2025, by civil society coalition Justice Reform Project (JRP) and three prominent Nigerian lawyers—Charles Adeyemi Candide-Johnson SAN, Dr. Babatunde Ajibade SAN, and Babajide Ogundipe—seeks disciplinary action against Ozekhome over the findings of a UK Property Tribunal which described his conduct as fraudulent, deceptive, and unbecoming of a legal practitioner.

Ozekhome is not alone in the crosshairs. His son, Osilama Mike Ozekhome, London-based lawyer Kingsley Efemuai, and Mohammed Edewor have all been listed in similar petitions.

A Costly Property Battle

The controversy stems from a September 11, 2025 judgment delivered by Judge Ewan Paton of the London Property Tribunal. At the centre of the dispute was a North London property located at 79 Randall Avenue—registered since 1993 in the name “Tali Shani.”

Ozekhome claimed the house was gifted to him in 2021 by one Mr. Thali Shani in appreciation for legal services worth ?100 million. But the tribunal’s deep dive into the transaction uncovered what it called a “network of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents.”

The court concluded that the supposed Ms/Mr Tali Shani was “never a real living person,” but a fabricated identity created to disguise the true ownership of the property—belonging to the late General Jeremiah Useni, a former FCT Minister and strong ally of the late General Sani Abacha.

The tribunal found that:

• Witnesses presented by Ozekhome, including his son, gave testimonies described as “contrived” and “invented.”
• Documents submitted to support the transfer were “deliberately fabricated.”
• Statements meant to conceal stamp duty obligations amounted to “a dishonourable act of tax evasion.”

In a scathing conclusion, the judge ruled that the entire case was built on “forgery and deception” and struck out the claims.

The Petition: A Blow to the SAN Rank

In its petition to the LPDC, JRP argued that the findings of the London tribunal amount to serious breaches of Nigeria’s Rules of Professional Conduct, an affront to the dignity of the legal profession, and behaviour unbecoming of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The petition lists a catalogue of alleged misconduct, including:

• Pursuing claims based on forged documents and fabricated identities.
• Attempting to mislead a foreign tribunal through false witness statements.
• Aiding what amounted to impersonation and perjury in court proceedings.
• Engaging in a tax evasion scheme by declaring the transfer as “without monetary value.”

JRP argued that the scandal—because it occurred abroad—casts a deep shadow on the Nigerian legal community and undermines global confidence in the country’s justice system.

Calls for Discipline

The petitioners have urged the LPDC to exercise its powers under Section 11 of the Legal Practitioners Act by:

1. Investigating Ozekhome’s conduct, and
2. Imposing appropriate sanctions if he is found guilty of infamous conduct.

According to JRP and the co-petitioners, the evidence before the London Tribunal paints a picture of a senior lawyer who not only breached professional ethics but actively participated in a scheme that compromised the integrity of judicial proceedings.

They insist that the Nigerian Bar cannot overlook what they describe as “grave, deliberate, and reputation-damaging misconduct.”

With both father and son now facing petitions before the LPDC—and similar complaints trailing other collaborators—the case promises to be one of the most explosive disciplinary proceedings in recent Nigerian legal history.

For now, the legal fireworks continue, as the Nigerian legal establishment watches closely to see whether a Senior Advocate of Nigeria will face disciplinary action over a foreign judgment that has shaken the nation’s legal fraternity.