ICPC Charges Ozekhome Over Forged London Property Claim

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) filed three criminal charges against Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, on January 16, 2026, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. The 68-year-old lawyer faces accusations of receiving a London property corruptly and using forged Nigerian documents to claim ownership. These stem from a September 2025 UK tribunal judgment exposing fraud in a dispute over 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. ​

Charges Breakdown

Count one accuses Ozekhome of receiving the property in London around August 2021 from Mr. Shani Tali, knowing it constituted a felony under Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices Act, 2000, punishable under Section 24. ​

Count two alleges he made a false Nigerian passport (A07535463) in Tali’s name in Abuja to fraudulently claim the property, violating Section 363 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 364. ​

Count three claims he dishonestly used the fake passport as genuine, despite reason to believe it false, contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code. 

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UK Tribunal Background

A First-tier Tribunal in London ruled in September 2025 that the property, bought in 1993 under a false identity by late former FCT Minister Jeremiah Useni, involved a fraud network including forged Nigerian IDs like passport, NIN, and TIN. ​

Ozekhome applied in 2021 to transfer it as a gift from Tali for legal services, but the tribunal deemed Tali fictitious and documents fabricated with Nigerian officials’ help; Immigration confirmed the passport unused and tampered. ​

Useni affirmed ownership before dying in 2025; the property remains in his estate pending probate.

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ICPC Probe Origins

HEDA’s petition triggered the investigation, highlighting conspiracy by lawyers and officials undermining Nigeria’s ID systems. ​

Ozekhome, interrogated on January 12, referenced prior EFCC explanations and the UK judgment, claiming ownership since 2021 based on Useni ties. ​

ICPC lists six witnesses, including investigators and Immigration reps; no arraignment date set. ​

Broader Implications

The AGF and NBA called for probes into legal profession integrity; Code of Conduct Bureau secured a forfeiture order.