A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama has dismissed a suit filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The case, which was set for arraignment on Tuesday, was struck out after the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) requested more time to review and consolidate the issues.
The ICPC had initially filed a three-count charge on January 16, alleging that Ozekhome knowingly presented forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to assert ownership of a property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The AGF’s office took over the prosecution on January 26, with counsel Rotimi Oyedepo promising that the case would be handled with diligence and adherence to due process.
At the resumed hearing, Oyedepo applied to withdraw the case to allow time for reviewing documents from multiple investigative agencies, arguing that this would strengthen the prosecution’s position. Presiding Judge Peter Kekemeke consequently struck out the case.
The dispute involved Ozekhome and the late retired Lieutenant-General Jeremiah Useni. It arose from a property claim at the UK tribunal (Case REF/2023/0155), where a person identified as ‘Ms Tali Shani’ also laid claim. Ozekhome maintained that the property was gifted to him by ‘Mr Tali Shani’ in 2021, while Ms Shani’s legal team contested the claim. Witnesses for Ozekhome testified that Mr Tali Shani had transferred the property under a Power of Attorney and had appointed Useni as his property manager.
Documents presented by Ms Shani’s side—including an obituary, NIN card, ECOWAS passport, and phone records—were declared falsified by the tribunal. The court ultimately dismissed all claims from both Mr and Ms Tali Shani, ruling that neither existed and confirming Useni as the true owner of the property.
