UK Tribunal Rules Against Mike Ozekhome in London Property Dispute, Passport Deemed Fake
Fresh revelations have shown that a Nigerian passport used by senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome to claim ownership of a property in North London was fraudulent, prompting criminal charges against him.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) confirmed that passport number A07535463, presented as evidence in the property dispute, was never validly issued.
According to the agency, the booklet was defective, never personalized, and reported stolen. Its details were unlawfully superimposed, containing inconsistencies in ndicative of forgery.
The passport had been admitted as genuine evidence by Judge Ewan Paton of the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) during UK proceedings in September 2025.
The judge’s ruling was based on the absence of evidence contradicting its authenticity.
Following the NIS findings, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) filed criminal charges against Ozekhome at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Court documents indicate he faces three counts: receiving property through corrupt means, forging a Nigerian passport and dishonestly using the false document to support his property claim.
The dispute centers on 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London. Ozekhome claimed the property was gifted to him in 2021 by a man who identified himself as Tali Shani, in appreciation for legal services provided since 2019. Ozekhome denied paying any money for the house, describing the transfer as purely gratuitous.
The claim was challenged by Westfields Solicitors on behalf of a woman asserting she has been the registered owner since 1993. Evidence also emerged from the late retired General Jeremiah Useni, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who stated in a 2024 video testimony that he purchased the property in 1993 and had no connection with Tali Shani.
The UK tribunal concluded that Ozekhome’s claim was based on fabricated stories and forged documents.
Judge Paton ruled that Tali Shani had no legal title and could not transfer ownership, leaving the property’s fate to probate over Useni’s English estate.
The ICPC’s charges underscore potential legal repercussions for Ozekhome, one of Nigeria’s most prominent legal practitioners, as investigations continue into the alleged fraud.
