A quiet residence at 79 Randall Avenue, North London, has become the unlikely stage for one of the most shocking property fraud cases linking two towering names in Nigeria’s political and legal landscape — the late General Jeremiah Useni and renowned constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
The revelations, emerging from a ruling by the UK First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in September 2025, have peeled back the layers of deceit that spanned decades, exposing how fake identities, forged legal documents, and suspicious transfers were used to disguise ownership of the property — first purchased in 1993, during the peak of General Sani Abacha’s regime.
THE HOUSE WITH TOO MANY OWNERS
According to tribunal records, the London home was purchased under the name “Tali Shani.” For years, that identity remained unchallenged — until conflicting claims emerged between two supposed individuals: a “Mr. Tali Shani” represented by Chief Ozekhome, and a “Ms. Tali Shani” represented by Nigerian law firm Edewor & Co. through their London agent, solicitor Kingsley Efemuai.
But as proceedings unfolded, both stories began to collapse under scrutiny.
“Mr. Shani” — Ozekhome’s client — claimed to have bought the house at age 20, using profits from selling sweets, mangoes, and cattle in Nigeria. He alleged that he later appointed General Useni, then the powerful Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, as his property manager. The tribunal noted that the story “bordered on the absurd,” wondering how a young herdsman could hire a sitting general to manage property in London.
“Ms. Shani,” on the other hand, was a total fabrication. She never appeared in court. Her legal team, led by Edewor & Co., submitted fake documents to prove her existence — including a fraudulent National Identification Number (NIN) slip created in Monaco, a fake phone bill linked to her lawyer, and a bogus death certificate riddled with contradictions. When asked about her sudden “death” in 2024, the same lawyers filed funeral documents listing a Sunday burial on a wrong date.
Two men who appeared as her “relatives” gave conflicting testimonies. One even claimed that the funeral photographer was “killed by bandits” immediately after the burial — a statement the tribunal dismissed as “fantastical and unserious.”
Ultimately, the court discovered that Ms. Tali Shani never existed. She was the product of a Nigerian lawyer’s imagination — a legal ghost conjured up to manipulate ownership records. When the deception was uncovered, solicitor Kingsley Efemuai abruptly withdrew from the case, leaving behind a trail of embarrassment and unanswered questions.
THE REAL OWNER EMERGES
The case took a dramatic turn when General Jeremiah Useni himself, testifying via video link in 2024 shortly before his death, admitted to purchasing the property in 1993 — but under the false name “Tali Shani.”
This revelation connected a long-standing pattern of deceit. In 2022, the Royal Court of Jersey had confiscated £1.9 million from accounts operated by Useni under another alias, “Tim Shani.” At the time, the former general insisted that “Shani” was merely a “code name,” but the Jersey court dismissed the explanation as a weak attempt to hide illicit funds.
The London tribunal agreed, ruling that the use of “Tali Shani” was deliberate — part of a broader strategy to conceal the general’s ownership of foreign assets accumulated during Nigeria’s military years.
OZEKHOME’S ROLE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the tribunal’s findings was the role of Chief Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria celebrated for his activism and human rights record.
In 2021, Ozekhome applied to register the London property in his own name, claiming it had been gifted to him by “Mr. Tali Shani” — supposedly as payment for years of unpaid legal services worth over £500,000.
But when asked to produce evidence of those legal services, Ozekhome’s explanations shifted. At various times, he called the transaction a gift, a payment in kind, or an exchange involving another property. No contract, invoice, or case record was ever provided. When pressed for details, the senior advocate invoked “client confidentiality.”
The tribunal dismissed his account as “contrived and unreliable.” Judge Paton noted that Ozekhome had, in fact, been managing the property since at least 2019 — holding power of attorney on behalf of the supposed “Mr. Shani” and collecting rent from tenants. The judge concluded that the 2021 transfer was a fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Useni and Ozekhome to legitimize false ownership.
The tribunal therefore nullified Ozekhome’s registration attempt, ruling that since “Tali Shani” never had legitimate title, he could not transfer the property.
THE PROPERTY IN LIMBO
Today, 79 Randall Avenue sits in legal uncertainty. The property is still registered under a fictitious name, and with General Useni deceased, there is no lawful claimant. The British court may eventually transfer the property to the Crown Estate as unclaimed property.
But for Nigeria, the case cuts much deeper. It reveals how corruption thrives through networks of political and legal complicity, where stolen wealth is hidden abroad and legitimized through forged documents, fake identities, and the expertise of lawyers who should know better.
THE LEGAL PROFESSION ON TRIAL
The tribunal’s findings cast a harsh light on the Nigerian legal community. From Edewor & Co. who fabricated a person that never existed, to Efemuai who presented fake evidence in a British court, to Chief Ozekhome, who attempted to legitimise a tainted transfer — the case exposed a disturbing pattern: lawyers as enablers of corruption rather than defenders of justice.
In countries with robust legal oversight, such conduct would trigger immediate investigations and possible disbarment. Whether Nigeria’s Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) will act remains to be seen.
THE BIGGER LESSON
This London property saga is not merely a story about a house; it is a mirror reflecting the deep systemic decay in Nigeria’s political and legal systems. While the British court meticulously uncovered the truth, Nigeria’s own institutions appeared powerless or unwilling to act.
Until those who facilitate corruption — whether generals or senior lawyers — are held accountable at home, Nigeria’s fight against graft will remain a hollow slogan.
A modest house on Randall Avenue has exposed how stolen public wealth can be buried under aliases, how truth emerges only in foreign courts, and how the rot at home continues to fester.
Coolnews Nigeria Investigations Desk
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