The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), over his alleged involvement in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom, a matter now widely referred to as the “Tali Shani affair.”
Sources familiar with the development have confirmed to TheCable that Ozekhome was taken into custody shortly after a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court struck out a forgery charge that had been filed against him. The timing of the arrest has raised eyebrows, coming immediately after the court’s ruling in his favour on that specific charge.
The legal luminary is currently in EFCC detention and is expected to be charged to court at any moment.
According to The Cable, this arrest pertains to a separate and distinct matter from the fresh 12-count charge filed by the federal government on the same underlying issue on Tuesday. This suggests that the commission is pursuing multiple legal avenues in connection with the disputed asset.
At the heart of the controversy is a property whose ownership is hotly contested between two parties—one identifying as “Ms Tali Shani” and Ozekhome. According to the SAN, he received the house as a gift from a “Mr Tali Shani” in 2021. However, lawyers representing “Ms Shani” have vehemently insisted that she is the rightful owner of the asset.
During previous legal proceedings, a witness claiming to be “Mr Tali Shani” testified in favour of Ozekhome. The witness asserted that he held “Powers of Attorney” over the property and had lawfully transferred ownership to the respondent. This conflicting testimony has deepened the mystery surrounding the true identity of the property’s owner and the validity of the transfer documents.
