The Nigerian government has formally commenced proceedings against renowned legal practitioner, Professor Mike Ozekhome, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over alleged forgery and use of false documents in a disputed property matter in the United Kingdom.

This development followed the filing of a three-count criminal charge (FCT/HC/CR/010/2026) against Ozekhome at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The charge was filed by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Head of the High-Profile Prosecution Department at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and Ngozi Onwuka, Assistant Chief Legal Officer, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The senior lawyer is accused of presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support his claim of ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal. The alleged offences reportedly occurred in August 2021 in the Maitama area of Abuja.

The charges include:

Count One: Receiving the London property from Mr. Shani Tali, knowing that the transaction constituted a felony, contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Count Two: Creating a false Nigerian passport in the name of Mr. Shani Tali to support a claim of ownership of the London property, in violation of Section 363, punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, Cap 532, Laws of the FCT.

Count Three: Using the falsified passport to claim ownership of the property, knowing it was false, contrary to Section 366, punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, Cap 532, Laws of the FCT.

The federal government has listed several witnesses for the trial, including investigators and a representative from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). Additionally, it plans to present the judgment of the London First-Tier Tribunal, extra-judicial statements, official letters, and passport data relating to Shani Tali as evidence.

As of now, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Yusuf Baba Hussain, has yet to assign a judge for the formal arraignment of Ozekhome.