THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has brought a criminal case against a prominent Nigerian lawyer, Mr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), over allegations of fraud connected to the ownership of a property in London.
The charges were filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, where the anti-corruption agency accused the senior lawyer of involvement in acts linked to a high-profile corruption investigation concerning a residential property in the United Kingdom.
Court documents show that the three-count charge was instituted on January 16, 2026, by Head of the ICPC’s High Profile Prosecution Department, Mr Osuobeni Akponimisingha. The suit, marked FCT/HC/CR/010/26, lists Ozekhome as the sole defendant.
In the first count, the ICPC alleged that Ozekhome, aged 68 and resident at No. 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime around August 2021 while in London, directly received a property located at House 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. The commission claimed the property was given to him by one Shani Tali. The ICPC claimed that the deal is unlawful and a felony under Nigerian anti-corruption law.
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According to the ICPC, the alleged act amounted to a felony and was contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The second count accused the Senior Advocate of Nigeria of falsifying a document while acting in his professional capacity as a legal practitioner. The commission alleged that around August 2021, Ozekhome made a Nigerian passport bearing number A07535463 in the name of Shani Tali.
The prosecution stated that the document was allegedly created to support a claim of ownership over the London property identified as 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, with the intention of committing fraud. The offence is said to be contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the FCT, Abuja, 2006.
In the third count, the ICPC alleged that Ozekhome dishonestly used the same passport as a genuine document to back his ownership claim over the London property, despite having reason to know that the passport was false. This charge is also said to contravene Sections 366 and 364 of the Penal Code.
To support the charges, the commission attached several exhibits to the court filing. These include a judgment with reference number REF/2023/0155 dated September 11, 2025, as well as an extra-judicial statement allegedly made by the defendant on January 12, 2026.
Other documents listed by the prosecution included records of interim forfeiture proceedings relating to the London property at the Federal High Court, a letter dated December 18, 2025, the data page of Shani Tali’s passport, and other materials considered relevant to the case.
In its proof of evidence, the ICPC also named witnesses expected to testify against the defendant. Among them are Mr Wakili Musa and Ms Tosin Olayiwola, both investigators with the commission.
The commission further disclosed that an official of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), whose identity was not stated in the court papers, is expected to give evidence to establish aspects of the case. Other listed witnesses included Ebenezer Nduo and Blessing Monokpo, also investigators with the ICPC, as well as additional witnesses who might be called through subpoena or by filing a supplementary list.
As of the time of filing this report, the case had not yet been assigned to a trial judge.
