ICPC arraigns Ozekhome over alleged UK property fraud

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a criminal charge against Mike Ozekhome over allegations bordering on fraud in relation to a London property.

The ICPC, in a three-count charge filed by its lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, head of the agency’s High Profile Prosecution Department, at the Abuja High Court, accused Mr Ozekhome of complicity in the large-scale corruption case.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fresh charge, marked: FCT/HC/CR/010/26, dated and filed 16 January, named the senior lawyer as the sole defendant.

The charge was sighted on Sunday.
Count one alleged that Mr Ozekhome, 68 years, of No. 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout in London, within the jurisdiction of the court, directly received House 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, purportedly given to him by one Shani Tali.

The ICPC said the act constitutes a felony and he thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

In count two, Mr Ozekhome was alleged to have, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout, while being a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, made a false document with a Nigerian passport: A07535463, bearing the name of Shani Tali.

The commission alleged that the senior lawyer did this with a plan to use the same to support his claim of ownership of property known and described as “79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 78X with intent to commit fraud.”

It said the offence is contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.

Count three accused Mr Ozekhome of dishonestly using as genuine, a false “Nigeria passport A07535463, bearing the name of Mr Shani Tali to support claim of ownership of property known and described as ’79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX,’ when he had reason to believe that the said document was false.

The ICPC said the offence is contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.

In support of the charge are the list of exhibits, which include a case number: REF/2023/0155 (judgment) dated 11 September 2025 and an extra-judicial statement of the defendant dated 12 January 2026.

Others are an interim forfeiture proceeding in respect of House 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX at the Federal High Court; a letter dated 18 December 2025; a data page of Shani Tali and any other relevant documents being awaited relating to the case.

The anti-corruption commission, in its proof of evidence, listed the witnesses to testify against the defendant, including Wakili Musa and Tosin Olayiwola, who are both investigators with ICPC.

Besides, a representative of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), whose name was not mentioned in the proof of evidence, is also expected to give evidence to establish the case against the senior lawyer.

Others are Ebenezer Nduo and Blessing Monokpo, who are also investigators with the ICPC, and any other vital witness by way of subpoena or filing an additional list of witnesses.

At the time of filing the report, the case is yet to be assigned to a judge.

NAN recalls that ICPC had opened an investigation into Mr Ozekhome, following a damning judgment of a London property tribunal that linked him and others to a web of fraud and forged documents.

The commission’s probe was triggered by a petition from Olanrewaju Suraj, head of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA).

The petition had referenced the British court judgment and accused Ozekhome and several others of conspiring with corrupt Nigerian officials to procure fake national identity documents in a bid to “fraudulently claim ownership” of the North London house.

(NAN).