There was mild drama on Tuesday at the Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) during the scheduled arraignment of two lawyers and a real estate developer, as one of the defendants, Adebayo Akeju assaulted a Guardian photojournalist, Ayodele Adeniran, for attempting to take his photograph.
The journalist was physically dragged and only released after he showed the defendants his camera to prove that no photographs had been taken.
The defendants — Akeju, a partner at Adon Partners; Ademola Owolabi, managing partner of Ademola Adetokunbo & Co.; and real estate developer, Alex Ochonogor, are standing trial before Justice Serifat Sonaike on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, and willful destruction of property.
The case, filed by the Lagos State Government marked LD/23611C/2024, stems from alleged illegal activities involving forged land documents, demolition of property in the Lekki area and selling of the property.
When the case was called, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, appeared for the state.
The first defendant was represented by Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN), the second by A.A. Durojaiye, and the third by Tony Ejere.
Ejere informed the court that the third defendant, Ochonogor, was absent due to a medical emergency and had been rushed to Lagoon Hospital early in the morning. He requested an adjournment.
Dr Martins did not oppose the request, stating that “the defendant needs to be alive to stand trial.”
Justice Sonaike granted the adjournment but emphasised that all necessary court filings must be completed before the next hearing.
The judge also directed the counsel to the third defendant to ensure that his client appears before the court on the next adjourned date for his arraignment.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants are accused of conspiring in 2015 to forge an affidavit of loss and a demolition notice purportedly issued by the Lagos State Lands Bureau, to falsely claim that a Certificate of Occupancy originally issued to Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to Sani Abacha, was missing whereas Al-Mustapha had sold the land to a firm.
The firm later demised it to another firm that now sold to the current owner, Dr Eze Obidigwe.
They are further alleged to have forged a memorandum of loss for the same document and willfully demolished a bungalow located at Plot 10, Block 133, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme 1, which belongs to Dr. Obidigwe, a Nigerian residing abroad, and sold it to the 3rd defendant, Ochonogor.
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