Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of UK Property Link To Ex-Minister Useni, Ozekhome

ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja has permanently forfeited a London property linked to the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd.), to the Federal Government.

Justice Binta Nyako delivered the ruling on Tuesday after the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) proved the asset at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London NW2 7SX, was acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

The court had earlier issued an interim forfeiture order in November 2025 and directed its publication in a national newspaper to allow any interested party to show cause why the property should not be taken over.

No one, including administrators of the late general’s estate or any other claimant, came forward within the 14-day window.

NaijaChoice News reports that the CCB’s application for final forfeiture followed exhaustive investigations that exposed a massive discrepancy between Useni’s legitimate earnings and the value of the overseas asset.

Using benchmarks from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the bureau demonstrated that the retired general could not have lawfully afforded the property based on his declared income as a public officer.

The case also featured a separate twist involving Senior Advocate of Nigeria Mike Ozekhome, who had claimed the house was gifted to him by an individual named “Tali Shani.”

Documents presented in court, however, included findings from a United Kingdom tribunal that declared “Tali Shani” a fictitious identity created by Useni himself when he bought the property in 1993.

With no valid claims filed and the CCB’s evidence unchallenged, Justice Nyako held that the bureau had sufficiently established its case.

The final order now extinguishes all competing interests and hands full ownership to the Federal Government.

The judgment is being viewed in legal circles as a significant boost to Nigeria’s asset recovery drive, especially in cases involving former top public officials whose wealth has come under scrutiny.

It also reinforces the CCB’s mandate to enforce asset declaration rules and tackle unexplained assets acquired during or after public service.

The late Useni, who served as FCT minister in the 1990s, passed away in France in January 2025.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2333/2025, named administrators and executors of his estate as respondents, yet none appeared to defend the property.

Federal authorities say the forfeited asset will be managed in line with laid-down procedures for recovered properties.

This latest development adds to a growing list of high-profile forfeiture cases that have seen Nigeria reclaim overseas assets suspected to be proceeds of corruption.