The Federal Government, through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, is set to arraign a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, January 26, 2026, over an alleged fraud involving a property in London, United Kingdom.
The scheduled arraignment is expected to hold in Courtroom 4, according to a hearing notice sighted by The PUNCH on Wednesday.
In the suit, Ozekhome is listed as the sole defendant, while the Federal Republic of Nigeria is named as the plaintiff.
The prosecution will be led by the Head of the High Profile Prosecution Department of the ICPC, Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
The notice stated that the matter “will be transferred from the general cause list to the hearing paper for Monday, the 26th day of January, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.”
It also advised that parties seeking an adjournment must apply promptly and provide supporting evidence where the application is based on facts.
It added that parties intending to compel the attendance of witnesses must give reasonable notice.
Ozekhome is facing a three-count charge filed by the anti-graft agency on January 16.
The first count alleged that in August 2021 in London, the SAN directly received a property located at House 79, Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, said to have been given to him by one Mr. Shani Tali, with knowledge that the act amounted to a felony, contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The second count alleged that Ozekhome, while acting as a legal practitioner and SAN, created a false Nigerian passport with number A07535463 bearing Shani Tali’s name in August 2021 to support a claim of ownership of the property, an offence contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Laws of the FCT, Abuja.
The third count alleged that he dishonestly used the same passport to substantiate the ownership claim, knowing the document to be false, contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code.
The case followed a petition submitted to the ICPC by the head of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, Olanrewaju Suraj.
The petition reportedly referenced a judgment by a British court, which accused Ozekhome and others of conspiring with corrupt Nigerian officials to procure fake national identity documents in order to “fraudulently claim ownership” of a property in North London.
The ICPC said it commenced investigation after a London property tribunal delivered a judgment allegedly linking the SAN and others to a fraud scheme involving forged documents.