A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of a house in London linked to the late Jeremiah Useni, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to the Nigerian government with senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome named in the ownership dispute.
The ruling marks the end of a legal process that began with an interim order late last year and raises fresh questions about the source of wealth of public officials.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Binta Nyako said the case brought by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) had merit and was supported by sufficient evidence. The court therefore granted the government full ownership of the property.
The case, filed as FHC/ABJ/CS/2333/2025, centred on a residential building located at 79 Randall Avenue in Neasden, north-west London. The CCB argued that the house was reasonably suspected to have been bought with money from unlawful activities.
In November, the court had granted an interim forfeiture order. At the time, Justice Nyako directed the CCB to publish a notice in a national newspaper within 14 days. The notice invited any person or organisation with a legal interest in the property to come forward and prove ownership.
According to the government’s lawyer, Sufyan Ahmad, this step was carried out as ordered. However, no individual or institution responded to the notice or filed any claim to challenge the forfeiture. As a result, the prosecution asked the court to make the order final.
In support of the application, the CCB presented an affidavit from one of its investigators, Raji Rasaq. He explained that a tribunal in the United Kingdom had already examined the ownership of the same property in a separate case and reached important findings.
The UK tribunal case, referenced as REF/2023/0155, concluded that Jeremiah Useni was the true owner of the house. It also found that he had used a false identity in the process of acquiring it.
Rasaq told the Nigerian court that the property was purchased while Useni was serving in public office. He added that the surrounding facts suggested that the funds used for the purchase did not come from legitimate income.
To support this claim, the CCB obtained official salary records for public office holders from the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). These records were used to estimate Useni’s earnings during his time in government.
A financial analysis carried out by the bureau’s forensic accounting unit showed a significant gap between Useni’s known income and the value of the London property. According to the affidavit, his declared earnings were not enough to cover the cost of the house.
The investigator said this gap pointed to the presence of unexplained funds. In simple terms, there was no clear or lawful explanation for how the property was paid for.
He added that such a gap is often seen as a warning sign of hidden income, fraud, or the illegal accumulation of wealth. Based on this, the CCB argued that the property should be treated as the proceeds of unlawful activity.
The ownership of the house had already been the subject of a complex dispute in the United Kingdom. Several individuals claimed rights to the property, leading to a detailed investigation by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in London.
Among those involved in the dispute were Mike Ozekhome, a senior Nigerian lawyer, and the late Useni, who was also a retired lieutenant-general.
The case also featured a mysterious figure named Tali Shani. At different points, the property was claimed by a “Ms Tali Shani” and defended by Ozekhome, who said he received the house as a gift from a “Mr Tali Shani” in 2021.
A witness using the name “Mr Tali Shani” appeared in support of Ozekhome’s claim. He told the tribunal that he had power of attorney over the property and had transferred it legally.
He also claimed that he had owned the house since 1993 and had later appointed Useni as his property manager. He described the former minister as both a friend and a business partner.
On the other side, lawyers representing “Ms Tali Shani” presented several documents to support her claim. These included an obituary notice, a national identity card, a passport and a phone number.
However, the tribunal carefully examined all the evidence and found that the documents presented were not genuine. It concluded that both “Mr” and “Ms” Tali Shani were fictitious identities.
In its final ruling, the UK tribunal dismissed all claims linked to the name Tali Shani. It held that the supposed individuals did not exist and that the story surrounding them was false.
A key piece of evidence came from Useni himself. In June 2024, he gave video testimony to the tribunal. During his statement, he admitted that he had bought the property in 1993.
He explained that he paid for the house in stages and later handed it over to someone else to manage. He clearly stated that the property belonged to him and not to any person named Tali Shani.
Useni died in January 2025, before the conclusion of the Nigerian proceedings. However, his earlier testimony played an important role in both the UK and Nigerian cases.
The latest ruling in Abuja effectively transfers ownership of the London property to the Nigerian government. It also highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to recover assets believed to have been acquired through corruption.
Meanwhile, the legal troubles connected to the case are not yet over. Mike Ozekhome and Ponfa Useni, the son of the late minister, are currently facing trial in Nigeria.
They have been charged on a 12-count indictment involving allegations of forgery. The outcome of that trial may further shape public understanding of the case and the events surrounding the disputed property.
For now, the forfeiture order stands as a significant step in the government’s campaign against illicit wealth, especially among former public officials. It also shows how international cooperation and legal processes can work together to trace and recover assets across borders.
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