The Federal Government is set to arraign a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, January 26, 2026, over alleged fraud linked to a property in London, United Kingdom, following a three-count charge filed by the ICPC on January 16.
In the charge, Ozekhome is listed as the sole defendant, while the Federal Republic of Nigeria is named as the plaintiff. The prosecution will be handled by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), with Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Head of the Commission’s High Profile Prosecution Department, leading the legal team.
A hearing notice sighted by The PUNCH on Wednesday indicated that the arraignment will take place in Courtroom 4 of the court, and the matter “will be transferred from the general cause list to the hearing paper for Monday, the 26th day of January, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.”
The first count alleges that in August 2021, in London, the senior lawyer directly received a property located at House 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, purportedly given to him by one Mr. Shani Tali, knowing that the act constituted a felony. The offence is said to be contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The second count alleges that Ozekhome, while acting as a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, created a false Nigerian passport bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali (Passport No. A07535463) in August 2021.
According to the charge, the alleged forged document was created to support a fraudulent claim of ownership of the property at 79 Randall Avenue, London, contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code, Laws of the FCT, Abuja.
The third count further alleges that the SAN dishonestly used the same false passport to substantiate the ownership claim, knowing that the document was false, contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code.
