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By Philip Nwosu
The House of Representatives has formally received a petition seeking an investigation into alleged unlawful tampering with the corporate records of Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd and Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd by the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN.
The petition, written on behalf of the two companies, alleges that the CAC registrar altered corporate records to favour a contending party in an ongoing ownership dispute.
The petition was presented during plenary by Hon. Muktar Tolani Shagaya, who represents Ilorin West Federal Constituency of Kwara State. The session was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
While laying the petition, Hon. Shagaya said it was signed by Kojo Ansah Mensah and bordered on allegations of unlawful expropriation of shares, extrajudicial removal of directors, and retrospective invalidation of corporate filings of Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd and Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd by the CAC Registrar-General.
Granting leave, the Deputy Speaker authorised the formal presentation of the petition before the House.
The development comes amid a prolonged ownership dispute surrounding the multi-billion-naira River Park Estate in Abuja, which has reportedly escalated into a broader corporate and regulatory crisis.
According to earlier reports, the dispute intensified following allegations that the CAC Registrar-General unlawfully reassigned shares belonging to Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd and Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd to rival claimants, despite pending court proceedings and directives from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
In a statement, Kojo Ansah Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd and one of the Ghanaian investors in the estate, alleged that on December 8, 2025, the CAC unlawfully altered the ownership structure of both companies. He said the action was taken despite a subsisting court case and a directive from the AGF instructing the commission to suspend any changes pending investigation.
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Mensah further claimed that the AGF, through the Solicitor-General, had earlier directed the CAC on September 24, 2025, to place a caveat on the companies’ records while allegations of forgery against some investors were being reviewed. He alleged that the directive was ignored.
He also accused the Registrar-General of misrepresenting facts to the AGF after a December 1, 2025 meeting involving representatives of all parties, insisting that the matter was already before the court.
Following the disputed changes, Mensah alleged that individuals newly listed as directors wrote to banks requesting the closure of company accounts and notified the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of an alleged takeover—actions he described as attempts to disrupt company operations.
The investors have since petitioned the National Assembly and the Attorney-General of the Federation, warning that the alleged actions of the CAC could set a dangerous precedent capable of enabling hostile takeovers of foreign-owned companies.
Meanwhile, Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd has issued statements distancing itself from claims by Dr. Adeniran Ogunmuyiwa, who reportedly asserted that he was acting on behalf of the company. The firm described the claims as false and insisted that Ogunmuyiwa ceased to be a shareholder and director years ago.
The company reaffirmed that its legitimate directors remain Kojo Ansah Mensah, Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Victor Quainoo, and Jonah Nathaniel, warning that any contrary claims are fraudulent.
As investigations are anticipated, industry analysts have warned that the controversy, if not properly resolved, could undermine investor confidence and deepen concerns over corporate governance and regulatory integrity in Nigeria.
