The Federal Government has filed a fresh 12-count charge against Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, and Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, over alleged conspiracy, forgery, personation and unlawful control of a property in the United Kingdom.
The charge, filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, accuses the defendants of forging a Nigerian International Passport and other documents to support a claim to a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2. The late General Jeremiah Useni was also named in several counts as a co-conspirator.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 in Abuja to forge Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani,” purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service, with the intention of using it to back their claim to the London property.
In Counts 1 and 2, the prosecution alleged that the defendants agreed to commit an illegal act by forging the passport and subsequently made the false document between May 30, 2020 and 2021, contrary to Sections 96 and 363 of the Penal Code Law 2009 and punishable under Section 364.
Count 3 accused them of conspiring in 2022 to use the alleged forged passport as genuine, while Count 4 alleged they dishonestly used the passport between 2023 and 2025 to facilitate the property claim.
Counts 5 and 7 specifically accused the late General Useni of false personation and cheating by personation. The charge stated that on or about May 30, 2020, Useni falsely presented himself as “Tali Shani,” described as a fictitious person, and executed an irrevocable Power of Attorney in that name in connection with the property.
Ozekhome was accused in Counts 6 and 8 of abetting personation and cheating by personation by jointly executing the irrevocable Power of Attorney dated May 30, 2020, with the alleged fictitious individual to advance the property claim.
In Count 9, the prosecution alleged that Ozekhome, sometime in 2022 in Abuja, had under his control the London property reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained by the late Useni using the fictitious identity. Count 10 further alleged that he had under his control the sum of £18,000, said to be part of rent accrued from the property and reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
Counts 11 and 12 alleged that the defendants conspired in 2023 to forge a document titled “Re: Request for Authentication of Nigerian Passport No. A07535463 Belonging to Mr. Tali Shani,” dated May 4, 2023, and purported it to have been issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service to support their claim.
The offences were said to be contrary to various provisions of the Penal Code Law 2009, including Sections 83, 84, 96, 179, 319A, 321, 322, 363, 364 and 366.
The charge was signed by Oyedepo Iseoluwa Rotimi, SAN, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, and A.R. Tahir, Chief State Counsel, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
In an affidavit deposed to by a litigation officer in the Federal Ministry of Justice, the prosecution stated that investigations had substantially concluded and that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants.
Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni are currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while a date for their arraignment is expected to be fixed by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
