Ozekhome and Useni allegedly used a fake Nigerian passport, a witness told FCT court during trial over London property dispute

A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome (SAN) and Ponfa Useni alleged that the defendants presented a fake Nigerian international passport before a London tribunal to claim a property linked to the late Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, General Jeremiah Useni.

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Aridegbe Akeem, Principal Staff Officer to the Controller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), testified as the first prosecution witness at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Friday.

He told the court that the passport bearing the name Tali Shani, numbered A07535463, was not issued by the NIS and did not appear in its official database.

“The passport belonging to Tali Shani is fake,” Akeem said.

He explained that the NIS received requests from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to authenticate the passports of Ponfa Useni and Tali Shani, revealing that one was genuine while the other was counterfeit.

Akeem detailed the systematic process for issuing a Nigerian international passport, which involves online application, generation of breeder documents, and encryption with the National Identification Number (NIN) in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.

He noted that the Tali Shani passport failed to meet any of these verification procedures.

The witness further stated that letters allegedly written by one Abdulkadir Lawal on behalf of NIS were also found to be fraudulent.

“Abdulkadir Lawal never represented the NIS,” Akeem told the court, adding that the EFCC was notified of these findings.

During cross-examination, Ozekhome’s counsel, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), probed the witness on his duties and timeline of service, but the hearing was adjourned by Justice Chizoba Oji to April 15 for continuation.

Ozekhome and Useni are facing a 12-count charge, including forgery, impersonation, and abetment in connection with an irrevocable power of attorney and a London property at No. 79 Randall Avenue, NW2, United Kingdom.

The EFCC alleges the offences occurred between May 2020 and 2022.

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The trial continues amid claims that the defendants attempted to manipulate official documents to lay claim to the property through fictitious identities.