The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled January 26 to deliver a judgment on the final forfeiture of a London property connected to the late Jeremiah Useni, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court’s decision follows the failure of any individual or representative of Useni’s estate to appear within the statutory 14-day period to contest the forfeiture and justify legitimate ownership of the property.
The case originated from an ex parte application filed in late 2025 by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), seeking an interim forfeiture and preservation order for the property, alleging it was purchased with proceeds of unlawful activity. On November 28, Justice Binta Nyako granted the interim forfeiture order.
The judge instructed the CCB to advertise the order in a national newspaper within 14 days, inviting “any person or body” with a legitimate interest in the property to come forward and substantiate their claim.
The property in question is located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. It was previously at the center of a property dispute involving Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mike Ozekhome and Useni, a retired Lieutenant-General. The case was also filed in the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration, UK, under reference number ref/2023/0155, with Tali Shani as the applicant and Ozekhome as the respondent.
The dispute had seen competing claims: Ozekhome stated that he received the house as a gift from “Mr Tali Shani” in 2021, while lawyers representing “Ms Tali Shani” claimed she was the rightful owner. A witness identifying as “Mr Tali Shani” testified in Ozekhome’s favor, claiming he had powers of attorney over the property and had transferred it to Ozekhome. He also stated that Useni acted as his property manager, describing him as a “trusted elder friend and business partner.”
However, the tribunal found that documents submitted by Ms Tali Shani’s witnesses—including an obituary, NIN card, ECOWAS passport, and phone records—were fraudulent. The tribunal ultimately dismissed all claims, ruling that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed.
