Lagos State Ministry of Justice has rejected the findings of a second police report that exonerated real estate developer Alex Ochonogor and his lawyer, Ademola Owolabi, from allegations of forgery and willful property damage.

Instead, the Ministry directed the police to conduct a deeper, fresh investigation, citing new developments and the need to re-evaluate key evidence.

In a letter dated August 22, 2025, and signed by the Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Adeshola Adekunle-Bello, the Ministry formally requested the police to reopen the case.

The letter, addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annexe in Ikoyi, called for the interrogation of more witnesses, specifically naming Dr Obidigwe Eze and Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, who was the Chief Security Officer to late General Sanni Abacha.

It be recalled that Ochonogor, Owolabi, and another lawyer, Adebayo Akeju, were arraigned recently before a Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on charges relating to their alleged involvement in forging land documents and demolishing a property in the Lekki area.

All defendants pleaded not guilty and were subsequently granted bail by the trial judge, Justice Serifat Sonaike. The case has been adjourned to October 13, 2025.

The arraignment was initially based on a police report. However, Ochonogor and Owolabi petitioned the Commissioner of Police, alleging a compromised investigation, abuse of public office, shoddy investigation, and witch-hunting.

This led to a second investigation, culminating in a report signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dahiru, which forwarded its findings to the Lagos State DPP.

This new report cleared the accused, finding that none of the documents were forged and that the relevant government agencies had authorised the demolition on the disputed land.

The second police report included several critical findings that seemingly contradicted the initial grounds for prosecution.

Key among them was the discovery that the demolition notice was confirmed by Engineer Peter Omotosho of Archbond Builders Ltd and Mr Bode Agoro of Lagos State as genuinely signed, and that the notice was also duly published by the Lagos State Government in the Punch Newspaper on September 11, 2009, and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr Gbenga B. Ashafa.

Crucially, the police confirmed that the complainant, Dr Obidigwe Eze’s, deed of assignment was not signed by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and Mr Abdul Fatai Alao Thomas, suggesting the complainant’s document was forged.

Conversely, the police verified that the memorandum of loss declaration and affidavit of loss filed by Al-Mustapha were properly signed and not forged, and that the Lagos State Government had originally allocated the land (Block 133, Plot 10, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1) to Major Al-Mustapha in 1994. (Nigerian Tribune)