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In the incredibly bittersweet courtroom play of Tali Shani v Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome (2025) UKFTT 1090 (PC), 2 mean Nigerians from improbable quarters, each doing what would look to beryllium their regular work, made the difference.
The archetypal was Ibrahim Sani, a superintendent of constabulary astatine the Force Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police Force successful Abuja, a notoriously corrupt section nether retired DIG Mike Ogbizi.
Sani had received a petition and ailment from Chief Ozekhome (the Respondent successful this case) to analyse alleged forged documents, including a “9 mobile” number, stated to beryllium that of Tali Shani (the Applicant), registered astatine a Jos, Plateau State address.
Ozekhome (SAN) needed the constabulary study successful the lawsuit successful Judge Ewan Paton’s tribunal regarding the ownership of a location helium claimed had been fixed to him by the precocious General Jeremiah Useni, but which the onshore registry successful London had referred to a tribunal aft 1 Ms Tali Shani, claiming to beryllium Useni’s “wife,” emerged.
Following a search, Superintendent Sani recovered that not lone did the telephone fig not beryllium to Ms Tali Shani, but the registered Jos code was besides fake. Sani’sevidence during the proceedings near a beardown content connected Judge Paton.
The justice said akin bully things astir Festus Esangbedo, the caput of ineligible of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), who worked with Sani to exposure the fake NIN that the fake Ms Tali Shani and her accomplices, including her phoney son, Ayodele Damola, wanted to usage to assertion the London location that they claimed Useni bequeathed them.
Indictment redefined?
Tali Shani (male) and Ms Tali Shani (female), similar Tweedledee and Tweedledum, are fictional characters successful sordid communicative of however a London tribunal recovered that 79 Randall Avenue, London, owned by the precocious General Useni, which helium bought for £110,000 astatine the time, was marred by grounds of extended individuality fraud, forged documents, and non-existent persons, successful a formed of precise elder lawyers successful Nigeria and their accomplices overseas connected some sides of the case.
I desperately hoped that Ozekhome, a elder advocator of Nigeria and equivalent of a King’s Counsel, whom I clasp successful precocious esteem, would accidental it was not true; that what Judge Paton said astir him recruiting his son, a young lawyer,to invent and contrive grounds to nutrient a charlatan to instrumentality implicit the spot of General Useni who helium said was his person and client, was mistaken.
However, successful an bonzer mentation of the judgement that near galore speechless, Ozekhome told LEADERSHIP that the judgement was “not an indictment.” Mohammed Edewor, different elder lawyer prominently named connected the Applicant’s broadside of this bizarre case, has been missing successful action.
A phantom’s revenge
In the 2 and a fractional years that the substance was successful court, the lone happening that seemed real, and which the grounds earlier the justice could support, was that General Useni mightiness person bought the location sometime successful 1993, nether a codification name. Everything other was an elaborate web of fakery, from the witnesses, their identities, a Keffi tribunal order, email addresses, and aesculapian certificates – including ones issued nether the letterhead of an existent Lagos-based hospital.
The decease certificate was fabricated by the fake lad and fake uncle of General Useni’s fake wife, who besides went connected to fabricate the obituary of the fake wife, who purportedly died successful a roadworthy mishap betwixt Jos and Abuja.
Whether Tali Shani, the Applicant, was a merchandise of the Respondent oregon a reactionary phantom successful his ain right, besides retired to grab, 1 happening was clear: Tali Shani (male)was nary little an audacious quality successful the sordid tale.
He couldn’t archer the tribunal however overmuch helium paid for the location helium claimed helium owned oregon nutrient immoderate conveyancing documents; yet, successful a striking infinitesimal of epiphany, helium remembered that helium bought the location for £200,000 (the terms was £110,000) done his “cattle business,” aft a prosperous spell of “selling sweats and mangos.” By his ain record, helium was lone 20 astatine the time.
One much for the Crown
He didn’t hide to adhd that, retired of the goodness of his heart, helium asked General Useni (who was not his mate by immoderate stretch) to beryllium the cause for him! Would General Useni, who testified successful this lawsuit connected his sickbed, not beryllium saddened successful his sedate to cognize that the location helium bought, nether seemingly shadowy circumstances, whitethorn perchance walk to the Crown (under the rule of ownerless goods) aft this bizarre dispute?
Or that a twat is calling him his errand boy, erstwhile circumstantial grounds suggests that he, Useni, astir apt “invented” Tali Shani arsenic a conduit astatine the tallness of the searchlight connected his offshore relationship for wealth laundering.
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English (US) ·