The Federal Government has filed fresh criminal charges against prominent human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and one other defendant at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
According to the charge sheet dated 24/02/2026, the defendants are accused of multiple offences bordering on conspiracy, impersonation, forgery, cheating, and the alleged use of a falsified Nigerian international passport.
The prosecution alleges that the offences were committed between 2020 and 2025 in Abuja, in connection with a disputed property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2, United Kingdom.
The charges, running into several counts, claim that the defendants conspired to create and use documents bearing the name “Tali Shani,” described in the charge as a fictitious person, including an alleged forged Nigerian passport purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The prosecution further alleges that the documents were used to support claims of ownership and control over the London property, as well as to receive rental proceeds linked to it.
The suit, filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, also accuses the defendants of abetting impersonation and unlawfully benefiting from proceeds suspected to have been obtained through false representation.
As of the time of filing this report, no plea has been taken, and the court is yet to fix a date for the arraignment of the defendants.
Ozekhome has previously denied any wrongdoing in related matters, maintaining that his actions were within the bounds of the law.
The case is expected to attract significant public and legal interest given Ozekhome’s status as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a long-standing figure in the country’s legal and civil rights space.