Justice S.I. Sonaike of the Lagos High Court, TBS has adjourned the arraignment of two lawyers, Ademola Owolabi, the managing partner of Ademola Adetokunbo & Co., and Adebayo Akeju, who is a partner in a law firm called Adon Partners, Lagos, as well as a real estate developer, Alex Ochonogor, to November 28.
Ochonogor is the owner and managing director of Bluecrest Homes Limited, where Owolabi is also the company secretary.
The adjournment followed the absence of the suspects and their counsel in court on Monday, when the matter was called before justice Sonaike.
The suspects are facing a five count charge of conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, and willful damage to property pressed against them by the Lagos State government in suit marked LD/23611C/2024.
When the matter was called, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Lagos ministry of Justice, Dr Babajide Martins announced his appearance. He told the court that the AG directed him to call a meeting on the matter. He said in view of the directive, the court should adjourn the matter.
Consequently, the court adjourned the matter till November 28, 2024 for arraignment/further report from the DPP office.
Prior to this, a mild drama ensued when the matter was called. The case file was not before the court. This reporter gathered that the Deputy Chief Registrar requested for it on Friday.
As a result, the judge called for it and waited until it was retrieved.
Meanwhile, while the defendants have refused to appear in court for arraignment in previous dates, instead they petitioned the Attorney General of Lagos to discontinue the charge and also induced the Police to re-investigate the case which is already in court.
In addition, the defendants are also intimidating the complainant’s witness through the Police.
In a petition to the AG dated October 11, copied to the DPP, the witness, Alao AbdulFatai explained that officers attached to General Investigation Section (G.I) of the Force CID Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi Lagos invited him surreptitiously into the unconstitutional act of fresh interrogation on a matter before the court.
He mentioned the officers who interrogated him as CP. Ronke Okunade Nurat, CSP. Olatunbosun Olawale and Inspr. Suleiman Umaru.
AbdulFatai, who is a lawyer wrote: “When I got there, I was staggered when confronted with the same facts that I had made a statement on and already before the court, which was different from the Letter of Invitation Police sent to me.
“Unfortunately, I had to make a statement on the same issue, under reservation of the unconstitutionality of reinvestigating a matter that is already before the court, the said re-investigation, being on the request of the accused persons.
“This is strange because all over the world, an accused and his lawyers are always happy on shoddy Police Investigation because it gives them the leeway to get exonerated in court.
However, in this case, the accused asked police to reinvestigate to exoneration them.
“At the said re-investigation, the talking point of the officers from what I saw was that they were making a case for the accused, meaning that they were either influenced to conduct the investigation that way, or there was a petition to that effect, of which the intention is to intimidate me as a witness, or thwart the matter in court. no petition was shown to me.
“I had written a petition of threat to life against the trio, because I am now in fear of my life and I copied your office. kindly find your copy as attached, most especially that Bayo Akeju has gone to press to libel and defame me by stating in a publication that I have been disbarred.”
This reporter gathered that the Principal Secretary to the President of Nigeria, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, popularly called HMO, is the one pulling the strings from Abuja to aid the accused persons to evade justice, although HMO had vehemently denied the allegation too.
Counsel to the complainant, Anthony Omaghomi had also expressed concern that Ochonogor perfected titles when there was a registered caution on the property.