By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Federal Government has filed a fresh 12-count charge against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over alleged conspiracy, forgery, personation, and unlawful control of a property in the United Kingdom.
The fresh charges come hours after the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF) withdrew the three-count criminal charge initially instituted against Ozekhome by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The fresh charge was instituted by the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Federal Government, on Tuesday, February 24, with the late General Jeremiah Useni named in several counts as a co-conspirator.
The prosecution accused the defendants of forging a Nigerian passport and other documents to support a claim to a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 in Abuja to procure a false Nigerian passport No. A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani,” purportedly issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service.
In the charge, the prosecution alleged that they intended to use the document to support their claim to the London property.
In counts 1 and 2, the government alleged that the defendants agreed to commit an illegal act by forging the passport and subsequently making 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.
The defendants are accused in Count 3 of conspiring in 2022 to use the alleged forged passport as genuine to facilitate their claim to the property, while Count 4 alleged that they dishonestly used the passport as genuine between 2023 and 2025.
Useni was specifically accused in Counts 5 and 7 of false personation and cheating by personation.
The prosecution alleged 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 claim.
In counts 6 and 8, Ozekhome was accused of abetting the offences of impersonation and cheating by personation by jointly executing the irrevocable Power of Attorney dated May 30, 2020, with the alleged fictitious person to facilitate the property claim.
Count 9 alleged that Ozekhome, sometime in 2022 in Abuja, had under his control the property at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London, which investigators reasonably suspected was unlawfully obtained by the late General Useni using the fictitious name.
Count 10 further alleged that Ozekhome had under his control £18,000, said to be part of rent accrued from the London property, which investigators reasonably suspected was unlawfully obtained.
The prosecution in 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 falsely presented as having been issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service to support their claim.
The offences were said to contravene 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 the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Rotimi Oyedepo Rotimi and Chief State Counsel, A.R. Tahir, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
In an affidavit of completion of investigation deposed to by a litigation officer in the Federal Ministry of Justice, the prosecution stated that the investigation into the matter had substantially concluded and that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants.
