ICPC Files Three-Count Criminal Charge Against Mike Ozekhome (SAN) Over Alleged Fraud, Forgery in UK London Property Dispute

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Abuja, Nigeria – January 18, 2026  


The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has formally filed a three-count criminal charge against prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, over allegations of fraud, forgery, and corrupt receipt of property linked to a disputed residential building in London, United Kingdom.  


The charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/010/26 and dated January 16, 2026, was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, by ICPC prosecutors led by Osuobeni Akponimisingha (Head, High Profile Prosecution Department) and Ngozi Onwuka (Assistant Chief Legal Officer), on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation. Ozekhome, aged 68 and residing at No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, is named as the sole defendant.  


The allegations stem from a September 11, 2025, judgment by the UK First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in case REF/2023/0155 (Tali Shani v Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome), which described a "web of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents" involving attempts to claim ownership of the property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. The tribunal dismissed Ozekhome's claim that the property was transferred to him as payment for legal services worth N100 million, ruling it fabricated, and linked the dispute to the estate of the late retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni.  


The ICPC's three-count charge details the following:  


- **Count One:** That sometime in August 2021 or thereabout in London, Ozekhome directly received the property at 79 Randall Avenue, purportedly given by one Shani Tali, an act alleged to constitute a felony contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.  


- **Count Two:** That sometime in August 2021 or thereabout in Abuja, while a legal practitioner and SAN, Ozekhome made a false document—a Nigerian passport numbered A07535463 bearing the name of Mr Shani Tali—with intent to use it to support the ownership claim, contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the FCT, Abuja, 2006.  


- **Count Three:** That Ozekhome dishonestly used the said false passport as genuine to support the claim to the London property, knowing or having reason to believe it was false, contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code.  


Supporting the charge are exhibits including the UK tribunal judgment dated September 11, 2025, and an extra-judicial statement from the defendant dated January 12, 2026. Listed witnesses include ICPC investigators Wakili Musa and Tosin Olayiwola.  


The case follows an ICPC investigation initiated in late 2025, prompted by a petition from the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) and the UK tribunal's findings of forged Nigerian identity documents (including passports, NINs, and others) used in the scheme.  


Ozekhome has not yet publicly commented on the fresh charges. The matter is expected to generate significant attention in legal and anti-corruption circles, given his stature as a renowned constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate.  


The ICPC emphasized its commitment to prosecuting high-profile corruption cases, while the development underscores ongoing efforts to address cross-border fraud involving Nigerian nationals and forged official documents. The case is set for mention or arraignment at the Abuja High Court in due course.  


This development marks a major escalation in the long-running controversy, which has drawn scrutiny to Nigeria's identity management systems and the intersection of domestic legal practice with international property disputes.

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