The Federal Government will on Monday, January 26, 2026, arraign Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, over alleged fraud linked to a property in London, United Kingdom.
A hearing notice sighted on Wednesday shows that the arraignment is scheduled to hold at Courtroom 4 by 9:00 a.m., with the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the plaintiff and Chief Ozekhome as the sole defendant.
The prosecution will be led by Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, Head of the High Profile Prosecution Department of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to the notice, the matter “will be transferred from the general cause list to the hearing paper for Monday, the 26th day of January, 2026.”
The court warned that any party seeking an adjournment must apply promptly and provide supporting evidence where such application is fact-based. Parties intending to compel the attendance of witnesses were also advised to give reasonable notice.
The criminal case, filed under Charge No: FCT/HC/CR/010/26, was instituted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Ozekhome, aged 68, who resides at No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja.
The SAN is facing three counts bordering on the alleged receipt of property abroad, forgery, and fraudulent use of false documents.
Count One alleges that in August 2021, while outside Nigeria in London, Ozekhome received a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, allegedly given to him by one Mr. Shani Tali. Prosecutors claim the act constitutes a felony under Section 13, punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Count Two accuses Ozekhome of making a false document in Abuja during the same period, allegedly forging a Nigerian passport numbered A07535463 in the name of Shani Tali, with the intent to support a claim of ownership over the London property. The offence is said to contravene Section 363, punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the FCT, Abuja, 2006.
Count Three alleges that the defendant dishonestly used the falsified passport as a genuine document to substantiate ownership claims over the property, despite knowing it to be false, an offence under Section 366, punishable under Section 364 of the same Penal Code.
The charge sheet was signed on January 16, 2026, by Dr. Akponimisingha and Ngozi Onwuka, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer at the ICPC headquarters, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The arraignment follows a dramatic ruling by the UK’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in September 2025, which held that the disputed London property belongs to the estate of the late General Jeremiah Timbut Useni, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator, and senior military officer.
The property, purchased in 1993 and registered under the name “Tali Shani,” became the subject of prolonged litigation after questions arose over the true identity of the registered owner.
In a ruling delivered by Judge Ewan Paton, the tribunal dismissed claims by Ozekhome and individuals presenting themselves as “Mr.” and “Ms. Tali Shani,” describing them as impostors with no legitimate claim to the property.
Investigations by the Nigeria Police Force, including verification of a National Identification Number (NIN) and mobile phone records linked to the name “Tali Shani,” revealed that the identities were fabricated.
The tribunal found that General Useni had used the false name “Tali Shani” to conceal offshore assets, concluding that he was the true beneficial owner of the property.
“I find that a large number of documents in this case have been produced or procured by forgery or deception,” Judge Paton ruled, citing fake identity documents, fraudulent witness statements, forged medical letters, and fabricated burial notices.
“The real owner, via a false name, was General Jeremiah Useni,” the tribunal concluded.
In October 2025, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), cited the UK judgment while expressing concern over the rising number of complaints against senior members of the Nigerian Bar.
Speaking at the opening of the Supreme Court’s 2025/2026 legal year, Fagbemi disclosed that his office had begun verifying petitions against senior lawyers for possible disciplinary and criminal action.
“It is for this reason that my office has taken the unusual step of verifying the authenticity of these complaints with a view to referring them to the appropriate disciplinary bodies,” he said, pledging cooperation with the Nigerian Bar Association and the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
