The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has filed a petition before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging an investigation into senior lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), his son Osilama Ozekhome, and others over alleged fraud, forgery, and an attempt to unlawfully acquire a property in London.
The petition, signed by HEDA Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, followed a judgment delivered on September 11, 2025, by the United Kingdom’s First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in the case of Tali Shani v. Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome.
The tribunal dismissed Ozekhome’s claim that a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London, had been transferred to him as part payment for legal services valued at ₦100 million. The court described the claim as “a fabrication and a fraudulent attempt to take possession of property not lawfully his.”
According to the tribunal’s findings, fraudulent Nigerian identity documents — including a passport, ECOWAS travel certificate, Tax Identification Number, and National Identification Number — were allegedly procured to impersonate the real property owners, Mr. and Mrs. Tali Shani.
HEDA warned that the alleged forgery could not have occurred without the involvement of corrupt officials within key institutions such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and court registries.
The organisation called on the ICPC to conduct a thorough investigation, prosecute all individuals implicated, collaborate with UK authorities to recover the disputed property, and refer the lawyers involved to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for possible sanctions.
“This case is alarming, not just because of the unlawful property grab, but because it exposes how Nigeria’s sensitive identity systems can be manipulated by influential individuals and compromised public officials,” Suraju stated.
He further stressed that the ICPC must act swiftly “to restore public confidence and send a clear message that no one is above the law.”
When contacted for a response, Chief Ozekhome declined to comment, stating: “I cannot speak on a matter that I am not aware of. There is no need to push this, please.”
