Following the withdrawal of initial charges by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) through the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) against senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday, the AGF has filed fresh 12-count charges against Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni, also known as Tali Shani, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The charges, signed by the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, allege conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, and unlawful control of a property in the United Kingdom, specifically a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2. The late General Jeremiah Useni, former Minister of the FCT and one-time Senator, is named in several counts as a co-conspirator.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 in Abuja to procure a false Nigerian passport in the name “Tali Shani,” purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service, to support a claim to the London property.
The counts detail that the defendants allegedly forged and used the passport between 2020 and 2025 to facilitate the property claim, executed an irrevocable Power of Attorney under the fictitious name “Tali Shani”, controlled the London property and related funds, including £18,000 suspected to have been unlawfully obtained and conspired in 2023 to forge supporting documents to validate the passport.
The offences reportedly contravene several provisions of the Penal Code Law 2009, including Sections 83, 84, 96, 179, 319A, 321, 322, 363, 364, and 366.
An affidavit of completion of investigation by a litigation officer in the Federal Ministry of Justice stated that the probe had substantially concluded and established a prima facie case against the defendants.
No date has been fixed yet for the arraignment of Ozekhome and Useni.
