The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Anti-Corruption Committee has expressed strong support for the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in initiating an inquiry into a complex property dispute involving Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome, SAN, in the United Kingdom.
This action follows a ruling by Judge Ewan Paton of the First-Tier Tribunal Property Chamber Land Registration in the UK, under case number REF/2023/0155: Tali Shani (Applicant) v. Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome (Respondent), concerning ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London.
In a statement signed by Prof. Babafemi A. Badejo, chairman of the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee, the group highlighted that the case presents multiple irregularities warranting a thorough investigation. This includes verifying the legitimacy of the widely circulated judgment and scrutinizing the conduct of Nigerian legal practitioners referenced in the proceedings before the Supreme Court.
Dated October 2, 2025, and addressed to NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN) along with other senior officials, the statement expressed the committee’s expectation that any lawyers found culpable will be swiftly referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for appropriate action.
The committee further insisted that the probe should cover allegations of forged National Identification Numbers (NIN), fraudulent use of MTN phone numbers, counterfeit ECOWAS passports, and other deceptive tactics allegedly employed to fabricate identities purportedly linked to Tali Shani.
It warned that such fraudulent schemes, reportedly involving collusion between certain lawyers and government officials, must result in criminal charges against those civil servants who conspired to damage Nigeria’s reputation.
Recalling a related 2022 judgment by the Royal Court of Jersey in a £1.9 million dispute-Attorney-General v. Useni-the statement noted that Judge Paton had previously found that the late Lt. General Jeremiah Useni acquired property under suspicious circumstances using a name closely resembling that in the current case.
Based on this precedent, the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee urged the Attorney-General to assert Nigeria’s interest in the contested property with a view toward possible restitution.
The committee emphasized that Nigeria must avoid repeating past mistakes where prominent cases were quietly shelved, stressing that the integrity and future of the country’s legal profession depend on transparent and decisive action.
Finally, the NBA Anti-Corruption Committee recommended that the Attorney-General involve Dr. George Ekpungu, Alternate Chairman of the national NBA Anti-Corruption Committee, and Mr. Bayo Akinlade, chairman of the Ikorodu Branch, in the ongoing investigation process.
