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Fraud

Trio Faces Trial Over Illegal Land Transaction in Lekki, Lagos

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Three individuals, Ademola Owolabi, Adebayo Akeju, and Alex Ochonogor, are facing trial over a conspiracy to forge official documents and engage in unlawful land transactions in Lekki, Lagos. The trio is accused of conspiring to falsely claim that a Certificate of Occupancy belonging to Hamza Al-Mustapha was missing, and forging documents to facilitate the unlawful demolition of a house belonging to Dr. Obidigwe Eze. The charges against them include conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful demolition of a house, with the prosecution seeking a trial date. The defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail by Justice Serifat Sonaike, with specific conditions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The trio, Ademola Owolabi, Adebayo Akeju, and Alex Ochonogor, is facing a five-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful demolition of a house in connection with an illegal land transaction in Lekki, Lagos.
  • The charges include conspiracy to forge official documents, including an affidavit and a demolition notice from the Lagos State Lands Bureau.
  • The defendants allegedly used forged documents to falsely claim that a Certificate of Occupancy belonging to Hamza Al-Mustapha was missing.
  • The unlawful demolition of a house belonging to Dr. Obidigwe Eze, a Nigerian living abroad, is also one of the charges against the trio.
  • The offences allegedly took place in 2015 and violate Lagos State Criminal Law sections 411, 361(1), and 350.
  • The defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail by Justice Serifat Sonaike.
  • The prosecution requested a trial date, while the defence lawyers asked the court to grant bail to their clients.
  • Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN) and M.O. Bashua (SAN) represented Owolabi and Akeju, respectively, while Tony Ejere represented Ochonogor.
  • Justice Sonaike granted bail to Owolabi and Akeju on self-recognisance, with a 5 million bail bond within 14 days, while Ochonogor was granted bail of 10 million with two sureties.
  • Failure to meet the bail conditions within the set time would result in bail being cancelled and the defendants being sent to prison.

Statistics:

  • October 13, 2025, has been fixed for the trial to begin.
  • The bail conditions for Owolabi include providing a 5 million bail bond within 14 days, submitting his Call to Bar certificate to the court registrar, and filing an affidavit confirming compliance within 21 days.
  • The bail conditions for Akeju include providing a 5 million bail bond within 14 days, submitting his Call to Bar certificate to the court registrar, and filing an affidavit confirming compliance within 21 days.
  • The bail conditions for Ochonogor include providing a 10 million bail bond with two sureties, evidence of income, three years of tax clearance certificates from Lagos State, and having their addresses verified by the court.

Sources:

  • [Name not specified], "Trio Faces Trial Over Illegal Land Transaction in Lekki, Lagos", online publication, October 13, 2025.

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