London Court Dismisses Ownership Claim On Property Linked To Gen Useni

A First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) successful London has dismissed a lawsuit filed by 1 Tali Shani, which challenged the effort by quality rights lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome to registry a spot allegedly talented to him by the erstwhile Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, General Jeremiah Useni.

The Tribunal threw retired the lawsuit connected the grounds that the applicant apt ne'er existed and that the grounds presented, including individuality documents and a decease certificate, was forged.

The contention implicit the ownership of the spot astatine 79 Randall Avenue, London, began erstwhile Chief Mike Ozekhome applied to registry a spot transportation dated August 2021 from “Tali Shani,” who purportedly executed the deed.

However, earlier the process was concluded, the applicant, claiming to beryllium Tali Shani, came guardant and denied authorising the transfer. She told the Tribunal that she was the registered proprietor of the spot and was unaware of the transfer, asserting that she did not execute it.

Following this controversy, the Land Registry referred Chief Ozekhome’s (the Respondent’s) exertion to registry the transportation of the spot to the Tribunal connected February 27, 2023.

In his defence, Chief Ozekhome, representing himself aft his ineligible squad withdrew, argued that his acquisition of the spot was a morganatic transfer.

He contended that Tali Shani ne'er existed and was a phantom individuality created by idiosyncratic not progressive successful the proceedings to fraudulently instrumentality power of the property.

Chief Ozekhome stated that the spot transportation to him was a acquisition successful designation of ineligible services provided to the erstwhile Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, General Jeremiah Useni.

He denied immoderate fiscal transactions related to the spot transfer, asserting it was not for monetary gain.

He called the erstwhile Minister arsenic a witness. In his grounds via video link, the precocious General Useni stated that helium had purchased the spot successful 1993 with his savings, intending it arsenic a location for his family.

He denied immoderate transportation to a “Tali Shani” owning the property, claiming helium archetypal met a antheral by that sanction lone astir 7 oregon 8 years ago, which was unrelated to the spot ownership.

After a thorough examination, the Tribunal struck retired the applicant’s lawsuit based connected fraudulent foundations and refused the transportation exertion to Chief Ozekhome.

The Tribunal held that Tali Shani’s claims regarding the acquisition of the spot successful 1993 were implausible, stating that Shani claimed to person purchased the spot astatine property 20, but his fiscal explanations were unconvincing.

The Tribunal noted that the acquisition documents indicated a antithetic name, “Philips Bincan,” and a acquisition terms of £110,000, contradicting Shani’s claims.

Additionally, the Tribunal recovered that General Useni’s grounds straight contradicted Shani’s assertions astir their narration and spot management.

It concluded that the grounds powerfully indicated that General Useni was the existent proprietor of the property, and his oral grounds was accordant and credible contempt his frail condition.

The Tribunal stated, “The spot was registered nether a mendacious name, ‘Tali Shani,’ apt arsenic portion of a strategy involving General Useni.”

In conclusion, the Tribunal held that some parties failed to beryllium their claims regarding the property.

It stated that neither Tali Shani nor the alleged purchaser was who they claimed to beryllium and that the existent proprietor of the spot was General Jeremiah Useni, who is present deceased.

The Tribunal, therefore, directed the Chief Land Registrar to cull the exertion for the transportation of ownership.

Within Nigeria, aggregate cases of alleged land/plot fraud, forged documents, conspiracy etc. are ongoing.

One illustration is successful Lekki, Lagos, wherever 2 lawyers and a developer are indicted for forgery and willful demolition of spot successful transportation with a disputed Certificate of Occupancy.

In galore of them, mendacious documents (death certificates, forged IDs, phony rubric deeds, etc.) are cardinal to the dispute.

Impersonation, whether of the owner, of identity, oregon via documents, is besides a recurring theme.

Legal ownership is often challenged oregon defended via tribunal oregon courts utilizing documentary impervious (or exposing the deficiency thereof).

Victims are sometimes abroad, remote, oregon different incapable to look easily, complicating enforcement oregon proof, overmuch similar successful the Ozekhome case.