CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
Four men have been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba for allegedly burgling the Ikoyi residence of Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
The defendants were identified as Bamidele Ogunsuyi, 59, Tunde Joseph, 35, Oliver Habila, 34, and Dada Oduwole, 30.
They were arraigned before Magistrate Mr. L.A. Owolabi on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, burglary, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and contempt of court.
The charge was filed by the Commissioner of Police with Charge No: M/184/26M and Lagos Criminal Information System No: 234, and was prosecuted by SP Josephine Ihkayere
According to the charge sheet obtained by P.M.EXPRESS, the incident occurred on September 30, 2026, at about 7:30pm at No. 29, Queens Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District.
The Police alleged that the defendants and others now at large conspired amongst themselves to commit felony to wit: conduct likely to cause breach of peace and burglary.
In Count Two, the prosecution alleged that the defendants wilfully and maliciously burgled the premises of Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu and damaged the padlock of her entrance gate with value yet unknown.
Count Three stated that the defendants, in a manner likely to cause breach of peace, unlawfully entered into the premises of the Minister.
In Count Four, they were accused of unlawfully and with contempt of court entering a property where an order of court was given that no one should enter the said property.
The offences, according to the Police, are contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 350, 52 and 104 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
When the charges were read to them in court, all four defendants pleaded not guilty.
Following their plea, their legal counsel applied for bail on liberal terms, arguing that they are presumed innocent until proven otherwise and that they would not jump bail.
In his ruling, Magistrate L.A. Owolabi granted each defendant bail in the sum of N600,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The court ordered that the sureties must show evidence of means of livelihood and evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government, and must be verified by the court registrar.
The prosecutor, SP Josephine Ihkayere, did not oppose the bail application.
The matter was thereafter adjourned till 8th December, 2026, for mention, pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP.
The case was investigated by SP Banti Adamu of the Command Tactical Squad 1, State Headquarters, Ikeja, and the case file has been duplicated for DPP’s advice.
Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who assumed office as Nigeria’s substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs on March 30, 2026, after serving as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from November 2024, is a lawyer, diplomat and former beauty queen.
She is the widow of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Spain and Ghana. She currently serves under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and is also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
The property at No. 29, Queens Drive, Ikoyi, is located in one of the highbrow areas of Lagos State and is said to be under litigation.
As at press time, no official statement has been issued by the Honourable Minister regarding the incident.
