Court Sets Date For Late Jeremiah Useni Property Forfeiture
The Federal High Court in Abuja will deliver its judgment on the final forfeiture of a London property linked to the late Jeremiah Useni and senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome on January 26.
The decision follows a 14-day statutory window during which no representative of Useni’s estate came forward to challenge the government’s claim.
The case stems from an ex parte application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in late 2025, which sought an interim forfeiture and preservation order, claiming the property was acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity.
The presiding judge had earlier approved the interim order and instructed the CCB to advertise it publicly to allow any interested party to prove legitimate ownership.
The property, located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, was disputed between Ozekhome and a claimant identified as “Ms Tali Shani.” During UK tribunal proceedings, documents presented by Ms Shani’s witnesses, including a passport, national ID, and other official records, were declared fake.
The tribunal concluded that neither “Mr” nor “Ms Tali Shani” existed and dismissed all claims. Ozekhome, however, had claimed he received the property as a gift from a “Mr Tali Shani” in 2021, with Useni acting as property manager.
Following the tribunal’s ruling, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) filed a three-count criminal charge against Ozekhome in Abuja. The charges allege forgery, use of false documents, and fraudulent claim of the London property.
The counts specify offences under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and the Penal Code of the Federal Capital Territory.
The court’s upcoming ruling will determine whether the property is formally forfeited to the federal government. The case highlights the intersection of property disputes, alleged document forgery, and cross-border legal proceedings, attracting significant attention from legal observers in Nigeria and the UK.
