NIS rejects passport used in UK property dispute involving Useni…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that a Nigerian passport submitted in a case over a disputed London property linked to the late former FCT minister, Jeremiah Useni, has not been issued by the agency.

Testifying before Justice Chizoba Oji on Thursday, Aridegbe Akim, principal officer of the Comptroller General of Immigration, said checks conducted on the document showed no trace of the passport in the service’s electronic records.

According to the witness, a search of the NIS database using the name Tali Shani, the identity on the passport, returned no results, indicating that the document is not recognized by the agency.

Akim also told the court that passport number A07535463 did not follow the established issuance chain, which normally includes payment, documentation, biometric registration and production.

He explained that each passport issued by the service carries a unique number that can be tracked through the agency’s electronic management system, along with the holder’s national identification number and biometric details.

Although he admitted in cross-examination that the passport shared some physical similarities with genuine Nigerian passports, the witness argued that no official documentation existed for the document presented in the foreign proceedings.

The testimony came as the prosecution opened its case against Nigeria’s senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, and Ponfa Useni, who are facing a 12-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and related offenses related to ownership claims to a property at 79 Randall Avenue, London.

Nigerian Navy steps up Operation Delta Sentinel with multi-domain offensive to curb billion-naira oil

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation said the defendants, together with the late Jeremiah Useni, between 2020 and 2021 forged the passport in the name of Tali Shani and used it to support a UK property claim.

The indictments also accused Ponfa Useni of allegedly assuming the fictitious identity of Tali Shani to execute legal instruments, including an irrevocable power of attorney, used in the property dispute.

At the end of the proceedings, the prosecution asked for an adjournment in order to bring further witnesses, a request which was not opposed by the defence.

Justice Oji subsequently adjourned the case to May 18, 2026, for continuation of hearing.

Related