Fraud Arraignment Turns Violent as Defendant Assaults Journalist During Arraignment for Alleged Property Fraud

There was mild drama at the Lagos State High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), when one of the defendants in a property fraud case assaulted The Guardian photojournalist, Ayodele Adeniran, for attempting to take his photograph.

The defendant physically dragged the journalist and only released him after Adeniran showed his camera to prove no photos had been taken.

WATCH AS GUARDIAN PHOTOJOURNALIST WAS PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED AT A LAGOS COURT

The three defendants—Adebayo Akeju, a partner at Adon Partners; Ademola Owolabi, managing partner at Ademola Adetokunbo & Co.; and real estate developer Alex Ochonogor—are standing trial before Justice Serifat Sonaike on a five-count charge of conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, and willful destruction of property.

The case, filed by the Lagos State Government (Suit No. LD/23611C/2024), involves allegations of forged land documents and the demolition of a property in the Lekki area.

At the hearing, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Dr. Babajide Martins, appeared for the state. The defendants were represented by Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN), A.A. Durojaiye, and Tony Ejere, respectively.

Ejere informed the court that the third defendant, Ochonogor, had been rushed to Lagoon Hospital due to a medical emergency and sought an adjournment.

Dr. Martins did not oppose the request, stating, “The defendant needs to be alive to stand trial.”

Justice Sonaike granted the adjournment but stressed that all court filings must be completed before the next hearing. She also directed that Ochonogor must appear in court on the adjourned date for arraignment.

According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2015 to forge an affidavit of loss and a demolition notice, purportedly from 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 at Plot 10, Block 133, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme I, allegedly owned by Dr. Obidigwe Eze, a Nigerian residing abroad.