EFCC Nabs Mike Ozekhome Hours After Court Strikes Out ICPC’s Forgery Charge
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Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has detained one of the country’s most prominent lawyers over an alleged multimillion-dollar property dispute involving a fictitious foreign owner.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in connection with a disputed property in the United Kingdom at the centre of the so-called “Tali Shani affair”.
Ozekhome was taken into custody just hours after a Federal Capital Territory High Court struck out an earlier three-count forgery charge filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
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That case was withdrawn following a directive from the Attorney-General of the Federation to consolidate investigations across multiple agencies.
The London Property Dispute
At the heart of the controversy is a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
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The dispute, which played out before the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), saw Ozekhome locked in a legal battle with a purported owner named Tali Shani, with both parties claiming legitimate ownership of the London asset.
Ozekhome has consistently maintained that he received the property as a gift from Mr Tali Shani in 2021.
However, in a dramatic twist, legal representatives for a Ms Tali Shani later emerged, claiming she—not the Mr Tali Shani referenced by Ozekhome—was the rightful owner.
The UK tribunal ultimately ruled that neither Mr nor Ms Tali Shani existed, dismissing all claims before it and casting serious doubt on the documentation used to support both ownership assertions.
Fresh Charges, Fresh Trouble
Following the collapse of the ICPC case, the federal government filed 12 fresh criminal charges against Ozekhome.
The new charges allege that between 2020 and 2025, the Senior Advocate conspired with Ponfa Useni and the late General Jeremiah Useni to use a fraudulent Nigerian international passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” to bolster his ownership claim over the London property.
Court documents obtained by Ejes Gist News reveal the government’s allegation 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.”
The charges include:
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Forgery
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Impersonation
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Conspiracy
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Abetment
Prosecutors further allege that Ozekhome aided Ponfa Useni in the creation of a fraudulent Power of Attorney to reinforce his claim to the property.
What Happens Next
Ozekhome remains in EFCC custody and is expected to be formally arraigned before the FCT High Court in Abuja in the coming days.
The case has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s legal community, with Ozekhome widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost constitutional lawyers and human rights advocates. He has represented high-profile clients, including opposition leaders and activists, in some of the country’s most sensitive cases.
Legal experts suggest the outcome of this case could set a significant precedent for how cross-border property disputes involving Nigerian citizens are handled—particularly where allegations of document forgery and identity fraud are concerned.
Statement from Ozekhome’s Camp
As of the time of this report, Ozekhome’s legal team had not issued an official statement regarding his arrest or the fresh charges.
However, sources close to the Senior Advocate indicate that his team is preparing to challenge the charges vigorously, arguing that the property dispute has already been adjudicated by the UK tribunal and that the Nigerian government lacks jurisdiction to relitigate the matter through criminal proceedings.
Ejes Gist News Nigeria will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates as they emerge.
