The Federal Government on Friday arraigned a prominent lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, over his alleged complicity in a web of fraud perpetrated in a bid to claim ownership of a disputed property in the United Kingdom.
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The defendant pleaded not guilty to the allegation contained in a 12-count charge that was read to him before trial Justice Chizoba Orji of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court at Maitama.
He was docked alongside Ponfa Useni (also known as Tali Shani), son of late General Jeremiah Useni (Rtd), a former Minister of the FCT who is at the centre of the alleged property fraud.
The charge against the defendants borders on forgery and abetment of an offence.
The Federal Government alleged that sometime in 2020, the senior lawyer agreed with Ponfa Useni (aka Tali Shani) and General Jeremiah Useni (now deceased) to commit an illegal act by making a false Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 with the name Tali Shani.
It was alleged that the defendants claimed the forged passport was issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service “with the intent of using the same to support your claim of a property, lying, being, and situate at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2, United Kingdom, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 of the Penal Code Law 2009 and punishable under section 364 of the same Law.”
According to the charge, Ozekhome (1st defendant) abetted the commission of an offence of cheating by personation when he jointly executed an irrevocable power of attorney dated May 30, 2020, with one Tali Shani, “a fictitious person,” to facilitate the claim of the UK property, and thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 83, 84, 321 of the Penal Code Law, 2009, and punishable under section 322 of the same Law.
While Count 9 of the charge alleged that Ozekhome took control of the UK property, which is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained by General Jeremiah Useni (now deceased) under the fictitious name Tali Shani, he was, in Count 10, alleged to have, within the period, collected the sum of £18,000 as rent that accrued from the property.
Useni, who was said to have falsely personated a fictitious person (Tali Shani), was cited as the 2nd defendant in the charge that was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
Following the defendants’ plea of innocence to the allegations, the prosecution counsel, Oyedepo, SAN, applied for a trial date.
However, Ozekhome’s lawyer, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, and counsel to his co-defendant, S.R. Onoja, SAN, pleaded for their release on bail, an application that was not opposed by the prosecution.
Oyetibo informed the court that his client had consistently made himself available to anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), noting that Ozekhome’s international passport was already in the custody of the EFCC.
“He has nowhere to run. The EFCC and ICPC granted him bail on self-recognition, and he will not leave Nigeria,” Oyetibo submitted.
Counsel to the second defendant, Onoja, SAN, also prayed the court to grant bail, citing his client’s heart condition and the administrative bail previously granted by the EFCC on liberal terms.
Consequently, Justice Orji granted the defendants bail in the sum of N10 million each, with a surety each in the like sum.
The court stressed that the sureties must be owners of landed property within the FCT, even as it ordered the defendants to surrender their international passports and not travel outside the country without permission.
Justice Orji noted that since the proceedings took place on a Friday, the defendants could go home if they were unable to perfect the bail conditions before the end of the day.
However, she ordered them to return to the court on Monday to fulfil the bail conditions, failing which they would be remanded in prison.
Prosecution counsel Oyedepo raised concerns about the unusually large number of defence lawyers in the matter, reportedly around 91, and urged that the number be streamlined.
He also requested that the court allow accelerated hearing of the case in the interest of society, the defence, and the legal profession.
It will be recalled that the court earlier struck out a three-count charge the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) filed against Ozekhome in relation to alleged fraud in the disputed UK property.
The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had taken over the case from ICPC on January 26, before withdrawing the charge on Tuesday to file the expanded 12-count charge.
The trial was adjourned to March 13, April 15, and April 16, 2026.
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