POLICE RE-INVESTIGATION OF A MATTER BEFORE COURT: A REBUTTAL

RIGHT OF REPLY

RE: POLICE RE-INVESTIGATION OF A MATTER BEFORE COURT AS AFFRONT TO JUDICIARY – BY ADEMOLA OWOLABI 

By Ademola Owolabi

On August 26, 2025, one Akinwole Opeyemi who styled himself as Media Aide to Obidigwe Eze, took crass journalism to a new low when he published in both CityLawyerMag.blogspot.com and Nigerialawyer.com with the headline: POLICE RE-INVESTIGATION OF A MATTER BEFORE COURT AS AFFRONT TO JUDICIARY. 

Acting as Obidigwe’s media vuvuzela, he turned illogicalities and spewing of lies to a trade and struggled to cast aspersion against my person as concerning ongoing dispute over ownership of Block 133 Plot 10, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. I had earlier taken an advertorial in The Guardian newspaper of July 15, 2025 wherein I stated the truth concerning my professional involvement in this matter.

Firstly, there is no law or rule that forbids the Nigeria Police Force from investigating a matter simply because that matter was in court. In actual sense, Obidigwe Eze filed a petition at the Force Criminal Investigation Department Alagbon in 2023 during the pendency of Suit No. LD/592LM/2015 instituted by the same Obidigwe Eze!

The facts of this matter are not recondite but requires careful perusal of some documents filed by Obidigwe Eze, Hamza Al-Mustapha, Adebayo Akeju and the investigations carried out by the officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

In the suit filed by Obidigwe Eze, he claimed he bought the land from Hamza Al-Mustapha in May 2005 for N11 million. Till date, Obidigwe Eze and his coterie of lawyers have never produced the proof of paying N11 million to Hamza Al-Mustapha. Obidigwe Eze claimed that Hamza Al-Mustapha had sold the land to Continental Properties but also failed to provide Deed of Assignment evidencing this transaction.

At the Special Enquiry Bureau of the FCID, one Abdulfatai Alao Thomas made statement that he only dealt with the land in April 2002 but Obidigwe Eze is parading a Deed of Assignment purportedly signed by the said Abdulfatai Alao Thomas for a purported sale in 2005.

Adebayo Akeju and Sheriff Danmole made statements at the Special Enquiry Bureau of the FCID wherein the duo stated how Hamza Al-Mustapha engaged them to recover Block 133 Plot 10, Lekki Phase 1 in the year 2014. Al-Mustapha in a Joinder Application in the year 2016 exhibited a letter which he wrote and dated 31/10/2014. Part of the letter went thus:

Notwithstanding, Alh. Sheriff Danmole, a lawyer (Adebayo Akeju) and myself have spent the past 7 months paying/following all dues for the State culminating in this progress thus far.

It must be noted that on 22/10/2014, Hamza Al-Mustapha registered a Memorandum of Loss 99/99/2471 at the Lagos Land Registry. Any discerning mind can see that Al-Mustapha’s letter of 31/10/2014 was written after he had registered the Memorandum of Loss on 22/10/2014. Even Obidigwe Eze was aware of the above fact. On 14/10/2015, Obidigwe Eze through Kofoworola Coker, Esq. wrote a letter to the Land Registry wherein he stated as follows:

Upon our investigation of (sic) the Land Registry, Alausa and at the New Town Development Authority, we found out that the said Hamza Al-Mustapha had gone ahead to register a Memorandum of Loss registered as 99/99/2471 and the Land Registry……..

It is contemptuous for Obidigwe Eze and his journey man to be saying Al-Mustapha did not instruct Adebayo Akeju to sell the land. Al-Mustapha wrote a letter dated 14/8/2015 to Adebayo Akeju headed:

RE: VERIFICATION (SIC) OF SALES AND LEGAL PROCEDURE REGARDING MY LAND AT LEKKI LAGOS

As you were contracted and introduced to me by Alh. Sheriff Danmole as lawyer regarding sales of my piece of land in Lekki Lagos………

Alhaji Sheriff Danmole stated in his statement at FCID on 17/8/2023 that:

It was Barrister Akeju that sold the land and I was not part or involved in the sale of the land in question….. I received the money in my account. I immediately informed Al-Mustapha about the money I received on his behalf and he gave me a list of people and the amount I should send to them…. I only complied with the list given to me by Al-Mustapha and I sent money to them as directed.

Concerning the baseless charge filed against me, it must be noted that arising from Obidigwe Eze’s petition to the police, an investigation report dated 13/11/2023 was generated and signed by Godwin Eze, Commissioner of Police. In the report, I, Ademola Owolabi was never indicted. The Police Report read:

With the investigation conducted to date, it is crystal clear that a case of Conspiracy, Forgery, Illegal Encroachment and Contempt can be established against Barrister Adebayo Akeju, Alex Ochonogor and Major Hamza Al-Mustapha.

However, when the casefile got to desk of the Director of Public Prosecutions, he betrayed the trust of Lagosians and justice. Firstly, he issued a legal advice on 3/1/2024 wherein he indicted Hamza Al-Mustapha, Ochonogor, Akeju and myself. On 18/1/2024, he removed Hamza Al-Mustapha from the list of the indicted. In other words, the DPP indicted myself who was not indicted in the investigation carried out by the Police and exonerated Hamza Al-Mustapha who was actually indicted.

The great Uthman Dan Fodio said: Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it. The DPP's decision to indict me and even make me the face of a crime I knew nothing about remains a case of gross abuse of power, injustice and an indictment of the entire Lagos State Ministry of Justice. I appeared faithfully before the Presiding Judge on January 16, 2025 and ever since, even as at today, the FCID and the Lagos State Ministry of Justice did not serve me with any charge!

I am more than prepared to defend my honour, reputation and standing over the wickedness cooked by persons who appear to be acting at the behest of men who have no regards to the truth.

Obidigwe Eze stated that if the investigation by the Special Enquiry Bureau was shoddy, I should have been very happy to defend myself in court. There are two fundamental issues wrong with such thinking. Firstly, if the police would not conduct fair, impartial and thorough investigation, I have a right to demand that the Police do the right thing. It is a corresponding duty of all citizens of Nigeria to demand a thorough investigation. The fact that a Justice Ministry kowtow to such egregious investigation should never hinder the Police Hierarchy from looking at its investigation.

Secondly, I am determined that the truth be unraveled. In the second investigation carried out by the General Investigation of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, and maybe unbeknownst to Obidigwe Eze and his sinking canoe, the following were revealed:

a. Abdulfatai Alao Thomas further stated that he stopped dealing with the land in 2002 and he did not know how Obidigwe Eze got his Deed of Assignment.

b. USP Communications could not provide proof that it paid the sum of N11 million naira to either Hamza Al-Mustapha or Continental Properties. It stated that it paid money to one Master Security Limited but there was no nexus between either Hamza Al- Mustapha or Continental Properties and Master Security Limited.

c. The Lagos Land Registry furnished the police at FCID with certified true copy of the Memorandum of Loss 99/99/2471 registered by Hamza Al-Mustapha. This is the same document that I am alleged to have forged!

d. Engr Peter Toyin Omotosho of Archbond Builders Limited made statement wherein he stated that it was himself and Mr. Bode Agoro that signed the Demolition Notice for the removal of a shanty on Block 133 Plot 10, Lekki Phase 1. This is the document that I am also alleged to have forged! It will stand to the eternal credit of Governor Sanwo Olu to cause an investigation to Block 133 Plot 10 Lekki Phase 1 and the roles played by some persons against the interest of Lagos State Government.

I never met or spoke with Al-Mustapha. I did not carry out any instruction on his behalf nor acted for him anyway. I did not meet Mr. Akeju until April 2015 whereas the demolition and registration of Memorandum of Loss were done in 2014. It was in April 2015 that Mr. Ochonogor engaged me to conduct a due diligence on the land and my findings that Hamza Al-Mustapha registered a Memorandum of Loss as far back as October 22, 2014 has stood crucible test of time.

It may be necessary to remind Obidigwe Eze and his pathetic media aide that Obidigwe Eze gave evidence before Oyefeso J. in Suit No. LD/592LM/2015. In his evidence during cross examination, he stated that he INHERITED the bungalow on the land! Now, Hamza Al-Mustapha, Continental Properties and USP Communications did not build the bungalow. Obidigwe Eze claimed to have bought the land since 2005, who then built the bungalow? The truth is that when Obidigwe became aware that as far as September 2009 the Lagos State Government had marked the building for demolition in a publication made in the Punch newspaper, he quickly shifted to claiming that he inherited the bungalow!

As far back as October 29, 2024, the DPP of Lagos wrote to the FCID seeking the outcome of the second investigation being carried out by the Police. On 13/6/2025, the Police released the report of their reinvestigation which also exonerated me of any crime. Obidigwe Eze should realise that I am not unaware of his efforts to circumvent the investigation at Alagbon. When Obidigwe’s lawyer was asked why Obidigwe was pursuing vendetta against me, he replied in a WhatsApp message that I was the hinderance to Obidigwe’s quest to squeeze N110 million from Ochonogor.

Let me assure them that I - like the Sage, Obafemi Awolowo - will determinedly face my trial and overcome same. Darkness cannot overcome light. Where are Awolowo’s enemies in the annals of history? One day, I will look at these Egyptians and see them no more. Let him hire all media aides and lawyers and officials, truth will conquer all.

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