The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a fresh 12-count charge against Chief Mike Ozekhome (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.
In the charge filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the defendants were accused 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 of the charge as a co-conspirator.
According to the fresh charge, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 in Abuja to make a false Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 in the name “Tali Shani,” purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service, with the intent of using the document to support their claim to the London property.
The prosecution alleged in Counts 1 and 2 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 of the same law.
In Count 3, the defendants were accused of conspiring in 2022 to use the alleged forged passport as genuine to facilitate their claim to the property.
Count 4 alleged that they dishonestly used the passport as genuine between 2023 and 2025.
Counts 5 and 7 specifically accused Useni of false personation and cheating by personation.
The charge 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.
Chief Ozekhome was accused in Counts 6 and 8 of abetting the offences of personation and cheating by personation by jointly executing the said irrevocable Power of Attorney dated May 30, 2020, with the alleged fictitious person to facilitate the property claim.
In Count 9, the prosecution alleged that Ozekhome, sometime in 2022 in Abuja, had under his control the property at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London, which is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained by the late General Useni using the fictitious name.
Count 10 further alleged that Ozekhome had under his control the sum of £18,000, said to be part of the rent accrued from the London property, which was reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
The fresh charge also includes Counts 11 and 12, which allege 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 to the property.
The offences are 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 Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, and A.R. Tahir, Chief State Counsel, for the Honourable 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 been substantially concluded and that, in its view, a prima facie case had been established against the defendants.
Ozekhome and the second defendant, Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, are presently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A date for arraignment is expected to be fixed by the FCT High Court.
