Key Takeaways
- The FCT High Court in Abuja granted senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome temporary permission to travel to the United Kingdom for a six‑week medical trip, ordering him to return his passport by 26 August 2026.
- The court adjourned Ozekhome’s forgery and impersonation trial to 28 September and maintained bail conditions requiring the defendants’ international passports to be lodged with the court.
- After the prosecution initially failed to submit the passports, the judge ordered their production; upon confirmation, Ozekhome’s passport was released for the medical visit, with a stipulation that it be returned within three working days of his return to Nigeria.
- The charges stem from a disputed London property allegedly purchased under a false identity by the late Jeremiah Useni, former FCT Minister, and involve accusations of forged Nigerian passports, a fake Irrevocable Power of Attorney, and collusion with corrupt officials at NIMC, Immigration, and FIRS.
- Two prosecution witnesses—a NIS officer and a forensic examiner—have testified that the passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” is not recorded in official databases and is therefore fraudulent; the defence has cross‑examined them without shaking their conclusions.
Medical Travel Granted
The FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, 4 July 2026, granted senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome permission to undertake a medical trip to the United Kingdom for a period of six weeks. Judge Chizoba Oji ruled that Ozekhome may travel from 9 July to 20 August, after which he must return to Nigeria to continue facing trial. The order came after Ozekhome’s counsel presented a medical certificate confirming the need for overseas treatment.
Passport Return Condition
As part of the travel approval, Judge Oji directed that Ozekhome surrender his international passport to the court on or before 26 August 2026. This condition ensures the defendant remains under the court’s jurisdiction while abroad. The judge also emphasized that failure to comply would result in the immediate revocation of the travel permission and possible issuance of a warrant for his arrest.
Trial Adjournment
In the same ruling, the judge adjourned Ozekhome’s ongoing forgery and impersonation trial until 28 September 2026. The adjournment allows the defence adequate time to prepare while the prosecution continues its case. The court noted that the delay would not prejudice either party, given the complexity of the documentary evidence involved.
Bail and Passport Lodgement
Recall that on 27 February 2026, the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation (AGF) arraigned Ozekhome and his co‑defendant, Ponfa Useni, on twelve counts of forgery and impersonation linked to a London property dispute. The judge initially granted each defendant bail in the sum of ₦10 million with one surety each, ordering that their international passports be deposited with the court as a bail condition.
Prosecution’s Initial Oversight
On Tuesday, 2 July 2026, the judge learned that the prosecution had failed to lodge the defendants’ passports despite the bail order. This omission prompted Judge Oji to direct the AGF’s counsel, C.L. Asonta, to produce the passports in court forthwith. The prosecution complied, presenting the documents for verification.
Verification and Conditional Release
After Ozekhome and Useni confirmed that the produced passports belonged to them, the judge asked Asonta whether there was any objection to releasing Ozekhome’s passport for medical travel. Asonta stated there was no objection but requested that the passport be returned within three working days of Ozekhome’s re‑entry into Nigeria. The judge accepted this condition, stating, “Having considered the motion and no objection, I hereby grant the request and temporary release of the first defendant’s international passport to enable him to go for his medical trip.”
Details of the Charges
The twelve counts allege that, between 2020 and 2022, Ozekhome and Useni conspired with the late Jeremiah Useni—former FCT Minister and father of Ponfa Useni—to obtain and use a forged Nigerian passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” (passport number A07535463). The prosecution claims the duo presented this fraudulent document to the Nigerian Immigration Service and other agencies to support a claim over a North London property. Additional charges include using the false passport to facilitate the property claim and creating a fake Irrevocable Power of Attorney to enable Ozekhome to act as Tali Shani’s attorney.
Origin of the Property Dispute
The property at the centre of the case was purchased in 1993 by the late Jeremiah Useni under the alias Tali Shani. According to a UK Tribunal judgment delivered in September 2025, the house was secretly bought by Useni, who never disclosed his true identity. Ozekhome later asserted in August 2021 that the property had been gifted to him by a man identifying himself as Tali Shani in appreciation for legal services rendered. Westfields Solicitors, claiming to represent the registered owner, challenged this assertion in September 2022, insisting that the true owner had never signed any transfer documents.
Findings of the UK Tribunal
Judge Paton of the UK Tribunal concluded that Ozekhome’s attempts to secure the property were founded on a network of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents. Nonetheless, the tribunal affirmed that the late Jeremiah Useni was the legitimate purchaser of the property in 1993. The tribunal also uncovered fraudulent Nigerian identity records—including a passport, National Identification Number (NIN), and Tax Identification Number (TIN)—allegedly procured with the connivance of corrupt officials at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Immigration Service, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Professional Repercussions
Following the UK Tribunal’s findings, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee suspended Ozekhome’s Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank pending a disciplinary hearing. The suspension underscores the gravity of the allegations and the potential impact on his legal career should the Nigerian courts ultimately uphold the charges.
Prosecution Witnesses’ Testimony
Two prosecution witnesses have testified thus far. In March 2026, Akim Aridegbe, a Principal Staff Officer to the Comptroller‑General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), stated that the passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” was not issued by the NIS and does not appear in its database, despite possessing the outward features of a genuine passport. Later, forensic examiner Bamaiyi Mairiga corroborated this conclusion, testifying that his analysis revealed the document to be a fabrication.
Defence Cross‑Examination
During cross‑examination on Monday, Ozekhome’s counsel challenged Mairiga on the technical procedures and general principles of his forensic analysis. The witness maintained that his examination, which included scrutiny of security features, material composition, and database cross‑checks, definitively showed the passport to be fake. The defence has yet to produce contradictory expert evidence, and the trial proceeds toward the 28 September resumption date, with both sides preparing to call further witnesses and submit documentary exhibits.