A letter submitted by senior Nigerian lawyer Mike Ozekhome to a London tribunal to support his claim to a North London property has been found to be fabricated, deepening allegations of forgery surrounding the case.
The document, purportedly issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), was presented as proof of the authenticity of a Nigerian passport belonging to one “Tali Shani.” The letter, allegedly signed by an official identified as Abdulkadir Lawal, claimed the passport was genuine and included what appeared to be a certified biodata page.
However, Nigerian authorities have since confirmed that the passport in question never legitimately existed, while internal checks by the NIS found no record of any officer bearing the name used in the letter. In a response to a separate government inquiry, the agency stated that the individual named as signatory was not its staff and that the document was “invalid, unauthorised, and of no official effect.”
Evidence reviewed by investigators indicates the letter was forged and later submitted as part of proceedings before a UK tribunal. The document proved critical at the time, as it lent credibility to the identity presented in court and was accepted by the presiding judge, Ewan Paton, in a September 2025 ruling.
Legal experts say the authentication did not establish ownership of the property but helped prevent the immediate dismissal of the claim. According to Gideon Christian, it created a “foothold of authenticity” that allowed the argument to proceed despite underlying doubts.
Subsequent findings have since unravelled that position. The NIS confirmed that the passport booklet referenced in the case had been reported stolen and was never issued to any individual. The agency added that the data appearing on the document showed signs of manipulation, pointing to significant irregularities.
The dispute centres on a property located at 79 Randall Avenue in North London, which Ozekhome sought to transfer into his name in 2021, claiming it had been gifted to him by a man identified as Tali Shani in appreciation for legal services. The claim was challenged by legal representatives acting for another party asserting ownership.
In its ruling, the UK tribunal rejected the transfer and found that the property had been covertly acquired in 1993 by late Nigerian military figure Jeremiah Useni, who allegedly used false identities to conceal ownership. Testifying before the court prior to his death in January 2025, Useni stated plainly that he purchased the property himself.
The tribunal described Ozekhome’s account as a “contrived story” and concluded that the individual identified as Tali Shani had no legal title to transfer ownership. The court held that the property would remain tied to Useni’s estate, pending probate proceedings.
The case has also drawn scrutiny from Nigerian anti-corruption agencies. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed charges against Ozekhome, including allegations of receiving property under false pretences, forgery of official documents, and use of fraudulent identity records.
Separately, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Ozekhome and a co-defendant on multiple counts of forgery and impersonation, accusing them of creating false identity documents to support the ownership claim and collecting rental income from the property. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, Nigerian authorities have moved to seize the property. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) secured an interim forfeiture order, arguing that the asset was acquired through suspicious means. No individual has come forward to establish legitimate ownership following public notice.
In his response to investigators, Ozekhome said he was aware of the UK tribunal’s judgment and maintained that all issues surrounding the property had already been addressed in ongoing investigations. He insisted that details of his claim were fully documented in the tribunal’s proceedings.
The case continues to attract significant attention, raising broader questions about document integrity, cross-border property disputes, and the use of forged identity records in high-value legal claims.
