Alleged impersonation: Court grants Ozekhome’s medical trip request
Abuja High Court Grants Ozekhome Leave for Medical Trip
An Abuja High Court authorized Mike Ozekhome on Thursday to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment over the next six weeks.
This decision follows Ozekhome’s arraignment on February 27, where he and his co-defendant, Ponfa Useni, faced 12 counts of forgery and impersonation. The charges originated from a dispute over property ownership in the UK.
Justice Chizoba Oji ruled on Ozekhome’s request to have his passport returned for this purpose, stipulating that he must return the document to the court by August 26.
The judge noted that the prosecution had failed to deposit the defendants’ passports as part of the bail conditions set in February. This prompted the court to demand that the prosecution present the passports during the Thursday proceedings.
Upon compliance, the prosecution produced the defendants’ international passports. After verifying ownership, Justice Oji asked the prosecution’s counsel, C.L. Asonta, to confirm if there were any objections to the request for Ozekhome’s travel. Asonta stated there were no objections but requested a condition for Ozekhome to submit his passport within three working days upon his return.
The judge granted the request, stating, “Having considered the motion and with no objections, I hereby allow the temporary release of the first defendant’s international passport for his medical trip.” Ozekhome’s permitted travel period starts on July 9 and concludes on August 20. The trial is adjourned until September 28 for further proceedings.
Ponfa Useni is the son of the late Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni, who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory during the military regime of Sani Abacha in the 1990s.
The prosecution alleges that in 2020, the defendants conspired to create a fraudulent Nigerian International Passport in the name of Tali Shani. They also allege that Ozekhome assisted Useni in impersonating Tali Shani and that together they fabricated a fake “Irrevocable Power of Attorney” to facilitate Ozekhome’s claim to the disputed property. Both defendants have denied the allegations.