The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch a full investigation into senior lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), his son Osilama Ozekhome, one Efemuai Mudiaga Kingsley, and their associates, over allegations of identity forgery, fraud, and an unlawful attempt to acquire a property in London.
The petition—signed by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju—was prompted by a September 11, 2025 ruling by the United Kingdom’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in the case Tali Shani v Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome (SAN).
In its judgment, the Tribunal dismissed Ozekhome’s claim that a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London, had been transferred to him as part payment for legal services worth ₦100 million, describing the claim as a fabrication and a fraudulent attempt to seize property that was not lawfully his.
The court also exposed the use of forged Nigerian identification documents—including a passport, ECOWAS travel certificate, Tax Identification Number (TIN), and National Identification Number (NIN)—to impersonate “Mr. and Ms. Tali Shani.”
Evidence before the Tribunal showed that these documents were obtained with the knowledge and involvement of Ozekhome and some of his legal associates.
According to confirmation from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the NIN was fraudulently generated remotely from Monaco under an “amputee exception,” without any biometric data capture and using a photograph that did not meet official standards.
Further investigations by the Nigeria Police Force revealed that the Jos address used in the documentation was fictitious, while the linked 9mobile phone number was registered under the names of solicitors.
HEDA, in its petition, stressed that the scale of the alleged fraud would have required cooperation from corrupt officials within the NIMC, Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and court registries.
The organisation therefore urged the ICPC to:
-
Investigate and prosecute everyone involved,
-
Collaborate with UK authorities to recover the London property, and
-
Refer the implicated lawyers to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for possible disbarment.
HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, described the development as deeply troubling.
“This case is alarming not just because of the unlawful property grab, but because it reveals how easily Nigeria’s sensitive identity systems can be manipulated by elites and compromised officials. It’s a direct assault on our institutions and national image. The ICPC must act swiftly to restore public confidence,” he said.
The group emphasized that taking decisive action would send a clear message that no individual—regardless of status or influence—will be allowed to exploit Nigeria’s identity and justice systems for personal gain.
On September 15, 2025, SaharaReporters revealed that a long-standing ownership dispute over a London property had taken a dramatic turn after the UK’s Property Tribunal ruled that the house registered under the name Tali Shani actually belonged to the late Nigerian General Jeremiah Timbut Useni.
UK Court Uncovers Forged Documents in Property Battle Linked to Late Gen. Useni
(SaharaReporters, Sept 15, 2025)
The case revolved around 79 Randall Avenue, a modest home in Brent, North West London, first purchased in 1993. The property was registered under the name “Tali Shani,” but questions later arose about the real identity of that person and whether the name was being used as a cover.
What began as a routine property registration evolved into a complex legal saga involving forged identities, offshore accounts, and high-level Nigerian political connections.
The Tribunal, led by Judge Ewan Paton, discovered that both “Mr. Tali Shani” and “Ms. Tali Shani,” who appeared before it, were impostors, and that the name “Tali Shani” had been deliberately fabricated to conceal the property’s true ownership.
According to the court document obtained by SaharaReporters, Superintendent Ibrahim Sini, an officer with the Force Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, confirmed that the department had investigated the alleged forgery of the NIN and the 9mobile utility bill used in the fake identity of “Tali Shani” at 10 Commercial Road, Jos.
Sini’s investigation corroborated the NIMC’s findings that the NIN was illegally created, as described in the evidence of Mr. Esangbedo—further strengthening the case against the alleged conspirators.
