The Federal Government is set to take over a controversial London property belonging to a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, late General Jeremiah Useni, following the failure of all interested parties to lay claim to the asset within the court-mandated timeframe.
Neither Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN—who has claimed the property was gifted to him—nor any administrator or executor of Useni’s estate appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja within the 14-day window ordered by the court to show cause why the property should not be forfeited.
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) had, on November 28 last year, secured an interim forfeiture order for the property located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London NW27SX, pending a final determination.
Justice Binta Nyako, who presided over the matter, is expected to rule on the permanent forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government on Tuesday.
Court documents and sworn depositions revealed alleged underhand dealings surrounding the purchase and ownership of the London house, which the Federal Government insists was acquired with looted public funds during Useni’s time in public office.
The CCB approached the court through an ex-parte application filed under the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022, seeking to preserve the property as proceeds reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity.
The bureau listed the respondents as the administrators and executors of the late Useni’s estate, alongside the London property itself.
Among the reliefs sought and granted by the court were an order restraining anyone from dealing with the property, a directive for public notice inviting interested parties to come forward within 14 days, and authorisation for the Federal Government to take possession of the house through a receiver.
Despite the court adjourning the matter to December 11, 2025, no individual or organisation has come forward to claim ownership or challenge the forfeiture.
Meanwhile, the case has taken a dramatic turn with the filing of a three-count charge of felony and forgery against Ozekhome, who alleged that the property was given to him by Useni to offset legal fees for election petitions and advisory services.
How the London property was acquired
In an affidavit sworn by CCB investigator Raji Babatunde, it was disclosed that a UK First-Tier Land Registry Tribunal, in a judgment delivered on September 11, 2025, ruled on the ownership dispute involving the property.
According to the affidavit, the house was purchased in 1993 under the name “Tali Shani,” which the UK tribunal later found to be fictitious. The tribunal held that Useni himself was the true owner, having paid cash for the property and deliberately used a false alias to conceal his identity.
The British judge reportedly found multiple claims of ownership to be false and ruled that the property belonged to Useni, who at the time of purchase was serving as FCT Minister under the late General Sani Abacha.
The affidavit further revealed that Useni later declared the London property in his asset declaration to the CCB, despite purchasing it under a false name.
Why FG is seizing the property
In its written address, the CCB argued that the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the property strongly suggest it was bought with proceeds of unlawful activity.
The bureau stressed that the forfeiture process is a non-conviction-based asset recovery mechanism designed to prevent suspects or their proxies from enjoying illicit wealth.
Citing previous court rulings in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and Jersey, the CCB noted a pattern of alleged corruption and deception by the late Useni, including the use of aliases to hide assets abroad.
The bureau also referenced a 2022 Jersey Royal Court judgment that ordered the forfeiture of £1.9 million linked to Useni, which the court described as proceeds of unlawful conduct.
According to the CCB, international treaties such as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), to which both Nigeria and the UK are signatories, support cross-border cooperation in the confiscation and return of stolen assets.
With no contesting claims before the court, the Federal Government is now poised to secure a final forfeiture order, paving the way for the recovery of the London property as part of its broader anti-corruption drive.
