The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has rejected the findings of a second police report that cleared real estate developer Alex Ochonogor and his lawyer, Ademola Owolabi, of allegations of forgery and willful property damage, according to Tribune Online.
Instead, the Ministry has directed the police to conduct a deeper 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 additional witnesses, specifically Dr. Obidigwe Eze and Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to the late General Sanni Abacha.
Ochonogor, Owolabi, and another lawyer, Adebayo Akeju, were recently arraigned before a Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on charges relating to the alleged forging of land documents and the demolition of a property in the Lekki area. All defendants pleaded not guilty and were 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.
A second investigation, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohammed Dahiru, cleared the accused, finding that none of the documents were forged and that the relevant government agencies had authorized the demolition.
The report confirmed that the demolition notice was valid, verified by Engineer Peter Omotosho of Archbond Builders Ltd and Mr. Bode Agoro of Lagos State, and had been duly published in The Punch newspaper on September 11, 2009, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Gbenga B. Ashafa.
Crucially, the police found that the complainant, Dr. Obidigwe Eze’s deed of assignment, was not signed by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha or Mr. Abdul Fatai Alao Thomas, suggesting the document was forged. Conversely, the memorandum of loss declaration and affidavit of loss filed by Al-Mustapha were properly signed and authentic, confirming that the Lagos State Government had originally allocated the land (Block 133, Plot 10, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1) to Major Al-Mustapha in 1994.
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