By Lukman Olabiyi
The scheduled arraignment of two lawyers and a real estate developer was yesterday stalled before the Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) due to the absence of one of the defendants.
The defendants, Adebayo Akeju, a partner at Adon Partners; Ademola Owolabi, managing partner of Ademola Adetokunbo & Co.; and real estate developer Alex Ochonogor are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, and willful destruction of property.
The case, filed by the Lagos State Government under suit number LD/23611C/2024, involves allegations of forged land documents and the unlawful demolition of property in the Lekki area.
At the hearing of case on Tuesday, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, appeared for the state. Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN) represented the first defendant, A.A. Durojaiye appeared for the second, and Tony Ejere represented the third defendant.
Ejere informed the court that Ochonogor could not attend due to a medical emergency and had been taken to Lagoon Hospital earlier in the morning. He requested for an adjournment.
Dr. Martins did not oppose the application, stating, “The defendant needs to be alive to stand trial.”
Justice Serifat Sonaike granted the adjournment but directed that all necessary filings be completed before the next court date.
She also ordered that Ochonogor must appear at the next hearing for his arraignment.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly conspired 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 issued to one Hamza Al-Mustapha was missing.
They are also accused of forging a memorandum of loss for the same document and willfully demolishing a bungalow located at Plot 10, Block 133, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme I.
The property reportedly belongs to Dr. Obidigwe Eze, a Nigerian residing abroad.
Following the court session, a mild altercation occurred when one of the defendants allegedly assaulted a Guardian photojournalist, Ayodele Adeniran, who attempted to take his photograph.
The journalist was physically dragged and only released after showing his camera to prove that no pictures had been taken.