The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has detained senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome over his alleged role in a controversial London property dispute known as the “Tali Shani affair,” deepening a high-profile legal saga that now spans courts in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Sources familiar with the development said EFCC operatives picked up the Senior Advocate of Nigeria in Abuja shortly after a Federal Capital Territory High Court struck out an earlier forgery case against him. That case, initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and later taken over by the office of the attorney-general of the federation, was withdrawn to allow the government consolidate investigations involving multiple agencies.

The fresh EFCC action is linked to a long-running dispute over ownership of a residential property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX. Proceedings before the UK First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Land Registration, under case number REF/2023/0155, pitched an individual identified as “Tali Shani” against Ozekhome, with the late retired lieutenant-general Jeremiah Useni also drawn into the controversy.

At the tribunal, Ozekhome maintained he received the London property as a gift from “Mr Tali Shani” in 2021. A man presenting himself as that “Mr Shani” backed the claim, asserting he had held powers of attorney over the property since the early 1990s and had at one point appointed Useni as property manager and business partner.

Opposing lawyers, acting for a purported “Ms Tali Shani,” countered with documents including an obituary, a national identity card and an ECOWAS passport to argue that she was the true owner. After reviewing the evidence, the UK tribunal dismissed all competing claims, ruling that the documents were fabricated and that neither “Mr” nor “Ms” Tali Shani existed in fact.

In Abuja, the federal government has now filed a new 12-count charge at the FCT High Court, alleging conspiracy, forgery, personation and related offences under the Penal Code. Prosecutors say that between 2020 and 2021, Ozekhome, Ponfa Useni (also known as Tali Shani) and the late Useni procured and used a forged Nigerian international passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” to bolster their claim to the London property.

The charge sheet further alleges that Ponfa Useni personated the fictitious “Tali Shani” in executing a power of attorney, while Ozekhome allegedly abetted the scheme by relying on the disputed documents in foreign proceedings. EFCC investigators are expected to forward their findings to federal prosecutors as the matter returns to the FCT High Court for arraignment on the new counts.