A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome (SAN) and Ponfa Useni has told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory that the defendants allegedly presented a fake Nigerian international passport before a London tribunal in an attempt to claim a property linked to the late former FCT Minister, Jeremiah Useni.
Ozekhome and Useni are being prosecuted before a High Court of the FCT by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on a 12-count charge in which they are, among others, accused of forging documents, including an international passport and an irrevocable power of attorney, and engaging in impersonation to lay claim to a property in London allegedly acquired unlawfully by the late Useni.
The witness, Aridegbe Akeem, who said he is a Principal Staff Officer to the Controller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), testified as the first prosecution witness during Friday’s hearing.
Led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Akeem said the passport bearing the name Tali Shani and marked A07535463 was not issued by the NIS, adding, “it is not in our database , the passport belonging to Tali Shani is fake.”
Akeem said the NIS received letters from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting it to authenticate the passports of Ponfa Useni and Tali Shani.
He said that after checking the NIS database, it was discovered that one of the passports was not issued by the NIS, while the other, belonging to one Useni, was issued by the NIS.
The witness said the findings were subsequently forwarded to the EFCC.
When asked to explain the procedure for the issuance of a Nigerian international passport, Akeem said that after an applicant makes an online payment for the passport, the database generates the record, following which the breeder documents are generated and input into the system, alongside the National Identification Number (NIN).
“This then generates the data for every applicant for a passport,” he said, adding that Nigerian passports are now encrypted into the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), making it easier for international borders to access biometric data.
The witness added: “Therefore, any passport the NIS produces goes through a systematic process before its final production. But such was not the case with Tali Shani. On inserting Tali Shani name, no record was found.”
He said the NIS system works in such a way that “once you insert a name, it brings out the particulars and history of that person. But, on inserting this Tali Shani, no record was found.”
Akeem also said that the NIS did not have any record of sales in respect of the passport in question.
He said the EFCC, in the course of its investigation, sent a letter to the NIS requesting to interview one Abdulkadir Lawal.
He added that after checking the NIS Legal Unit and nominal roll, it was found that no such name existed.
“We then communicated our findings to the EFCC. The NIS extended their search to IPPIS to be sure of their discovery and thus, no name like that existed.
“Also, the EFCC requested the authentication of a letter Abdulkadir Lawal wrote,” Akeem said.
The witness said he headed the team set up on the instruction of the Comptroller General of the NIS to address the many requests made by the EFCC in respect of the passport.
Akeem, who insisted that Abdulkadir Lawal never represented the NIS, said it was discovered that the letter written by the same Abdulkadir Lawal did not emanate from the NIS, implying that the letter is fake.
The prosecution tendered through the witness a number of documents, including the letters from the EFCC to the NIS, the NIS responses and copies of both genuine and fake passports.
Under cross-examination by counsel to Ozekhome, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), the witness said he became a Principal Staff Officer in December 2023 but was on out-post duty outside Nigeria prior to July 2023.
He also said Nigeria was fully admitted into PKG and PKI in 2025, which are ICAO upgrades.
Akeem recalled that the first letter the NIS received from the EFCC was one referring to Abdulkadir Lawal.
At that point, Oyetibo requested an adjournment to a later date, a request Oyedepo did not oppose, after which Justice Chizoba Oji adjourned the case until April 15 for continuation of trial.
Some of the counts in the charge read:
“That you, Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome, SAN, Ponfa Useni and General Jeremiah Useni (now deceased), sometime between the 30th day of May, 2020 and 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, made a false Nigerian International Passport No. A07535463 with the name Tali Shani, and purported same to have been issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service with the intent of using the same to support your claim of ownership to a property known as No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2, United Kingdom, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 363 of the Penal Code Act CAP 532 Laws of the FCT 2006 and punishable under section 364 of the same Act.”
“That you Ponfa Useni (aka Tali Shani), Male, Adult of 12 Dagash M. Street, Kado Estate, Phase 1, Abuja on or about the 30th day of May,2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court falsely personated Tani Shani, a fictitious person and with such assumed character made a Power of Attorney wherein you held yourself out as Tali Shani and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 179 of the Penal Code Act, CAP 532 LFCT 2006 and punishable under the same section of the same Act.”
“That you, Chief Mike Agbedor Abu Ozekhome, SAN, sometime in 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, abetted the commission of an offence to wit: personation of one Tali Shani by Ponfa Useni who with such assumed false character made and executed with you as a party, an Irrevocable Power of Attorney dated the 30th day of May,2020 to facilitate your claim of ownership of the property lying, being and situate at No. 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2, United Kingdom and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 85 of the Penal Code Act 2006 and punishable under section 179 of the same Act.”
“That you Ponfa Useni on or about the 30th day of May,2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court cheated by personation when you pretended to be one Tali Shani, a fictitious person and with such assumed character executed an Irrevocable Power of Attorney dated the 30th day of May,2020 with Chief Mike. A.A Ozekhome SAN, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code Act 532 LFCT 2006 and punishable under section 322 of the same section of the same Act.”
