Court grants Ozekhome bail in passport forgery case

The Federal Government on Friday arraigned senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome over his alleged involvement in a fraud scheme linked to a disputed property in the United Kingdom.

Ozekhome pleaded not guilty to a 12-count charge read before Chizoba Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama.

He was docked alongside Ponfa Useni, son of late former FCT Minister Jeremiah Useni, who is central to the alleged property dispute. The charges border on forgery and abetment of an offence.

The Federal Government alleged that in 2020 the defendants conspired to create a false Nigerian international passport bearing the name “Tali Shani,” which they allegedly presented as having been issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service to support a claim to a property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London.

According to the charge, Ozekhome allegedly aided cheating by personation through the joint execution of an irrevocable power of attorney dated May 30, 2020, with the fictitious identity, to facilitate the property claim.

Prosecutors further alleged that the property was reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained under the fictitious name and that Ozekhome collected £18,000 in rental income from it.

The case, signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, listed Useni as the second defendant.

Following the defendants’ not-guilty pleas, the prosecution requested a trial date. Defence lawyers, led by Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, and F.R. Onoja, applied for bail — a request the prosecution did not oppose.

Justice Orji subsequently granted both defendants bail in the sum of N10 million each with one surety in like sum. The court ruled that the sureties must own landed property within the FCT and ordered the defendants to surrender their international passports and refrain from travelling outside the country without court approval.

The judge noted that because proceedings took place on a Friday, the defendants could go home if they were unable to perfect the bail conditions immediately but must return on Monday to complete the process or face remand.

The court had earlier struck out a three-count charge filed against Ozekhome by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission relating to the same disputed UK property.