Tension flared at the Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on Tuesday as a defendant assaulted The Guardian photojournalist, Ayodele Adeniran, for attempting to take his photograph during a high-profile arraignment.
The confrontation occurred just before the scheduled proceedings for two lawyers and a real estate developer facing charges of forgery and property destruction. Adeniran was physically dragged by one of the defendants and only released after he showed his camera to prove that no pictures had been taken.
The accused, 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. The charges include conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, and willful demolition of property.
Filed by the Lagos State Government under suit number LD/23611C/2024, the case involves allegations of forged land documents and the illegal demolition of a property in the Lekki area.
When the matter was called, Dr. Babajide Martins, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for Lagos State, appeared for the prosecution. The first and second defendants were represented by Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN) and A.A. Durojaiye, respectively. Tony Ejere appeared for the third defendant, Ochonogor.
Ejere informed the court that his client was absent due to a medical emergency and had been admitted to Lagoon Hospital earlier that morning. He requested an adjournment, which the prosecution did not oppose.
“The defendant needs to be alive to stand trial,” Martins stated.
Justice Sonaike granted the adjournment, stressing that all required court filings must be completed before the next hearing. She also directed that the third defendant must appear in court on the adjourned date.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2015 to forge an affidavit of loss and a demolition notice purportedly issued by 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 of illegally demolishing a bungalow located at Plot 10, Block 133, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme 1, reportedly owned by Dr. Obidigwe Eze, a Nigerian resident abroad.
