Two Lawyers Arraigned for Alleged Forgery, Property Destruction

Two lawyers, Ademola Owolabi and Adebayo Akeju, were on Monday arraigned before the Lagos State High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square over allegations of forgery and willful destruction of property.

They were arraigned alongside a real estate developer, Alex Ochonogor, before Justice Serifat Sonaike.

The trio faced a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, and wilful destruction of property, preferred against them by the Lagos State Government under suit number LD/23611C/2024.

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According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly forged land documents and were involved in the illegal demolition of property in the Lekki area of Lagos.

When the matter was called, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins, appeared for the state.

However, Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN) represented the first defendant, M.A. Bashua (SAN) represented the second defendant, while Tony Ejere appeared for the third defendant.

Martins informed the court that the defendants conspired among themselves and forged a demolition notice Notice No. 0000025 titled, “Audit of Illegal Structures within Government Schemes Acquisition and Revocation Areas.” The notice was purportedly issued by the Governor’s Office, Lands Bureau, Directorate of Land Regularisation, Secretariat, Alausa.

He further alleged that the trio, along with others now at large, forged an affidavit of loss of Certificate of Occupancy purportedly sworn at the Registry of the Ministry of Justice, Alausa, on September 23, 2014. The forged document falsely claimed that the original Certificate of Occupancy No. 36/36/1994W, issued to Hamza Al-Mustapha, had gone missing. Al-Mustapha is a retired Nigerian Army major and former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

Martins said the offences were committed sometime in 2015 at 8604 Safe Court Apartments, Ikate, Lekki. He added that the defendants also forged a memorandum of loss and wilfully demolished a bungalow located at Plot 10, Block 133, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme I.

The demolished property reportedly belongs to one Dr. Obidigwe Eze, a Nigerian based abroad.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 361(1), and 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

“In view of the defendants pleading not guilty, I will ask for a trial date,” Martins told the court.

Counsel for the first defendant, Dr Abiodun Layonu (SAN), moved his client’s bail application dated March 19, 2025.

“We filed a further affidavit in support dated March 3, 2025,” he said. “Our application was filed under Section 115(2). It is an application to admit the first defendant to bail. The first defendant has no criminal record. We urge the court to grant him bail on self-recognisance.

“We filed a 13-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the first defendant, Ademola Owolabi. I rely on all the paragraphs and also the written address. The first defendant is a legal practitioner, he is not a flight risk. I have worked with him. I put myself forward that he be released to me,” he added.

The second defendant’s counsel, M. A. Bashua (SAN), said Akeju’s bail application was filed on March 4, 2025. He also urged the court to grant bail on self-recognisance.

“He is a legal practitioner of 34 years. He has no criminal record. It is one of those matters where a legal practitioner is put into the fire of tests,” Bashua said.

“The second defendant has developed major health issues since this matter started. I assure you, My Lord, that he will not jump bail.”

For the third defendant, his counsel, Tony Ejere, urged the court to grant bail in liberal terms.

“Our application is dated March 25, 2025, and supported by a 26-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the third defendant. The point has already been made that the prosecution is not opposing the bail application,” Ejere said.

“We will be praying the court to allow the third defendant to continue to enjoy the administrative bail granted to him by the police. I also pray that he be released to me, pending when he perfects the bail. He is willing and ready to stand his defence.”

In her ruling, Justice Sonaike granted bail to the two lawyers on self-recognisance.

She ordered them to deposit their Call to Bar certificates with the court registrar and provide bail bonds of N5m each within 14 days.

The judge further directed that an affidavit confirming compliance with these conditions be filed within 21 days.

“The Call to Bar certificates should be deposited before the court within 14 days,” the judge ruled.

“An affidavit showing that all have been complied with must be filed within 21 days.”

For the third defendant, Justice Sonaike granted bail in the sum of N10m, with two sureties in like sum.

“The sureties must show an affidavit of means and their income tax for the three years immediately preceding the current year,” she said.

The judge directed that the addresses of the sureties and the defendants be verified by the court registrar.

The judge directed the court registrar to verify the addresses of the sureties and the defendants and gave Ochonogor seven days to meet the bail conditions.

She warned that failure by the defendants to comply with the bail terms within the stipulated time would lead to a revocation of the bail and their remand in prison custody.

The matter was adjourned till October 13, 2025, for trial.