River Park Estate Dispute: Court Strikes out Criminal Charge against Ghanaian Investors, Lawyer

• Blasts defendants for attempting to compromise proceedings

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Modupe-Osho Adebiyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwarinpa, Abuja, yesterday, struck out the criminal charges brought against three Ghanaian investors – Sam Jonah, Kojo Ansah, Victor Quainoo, a company, Mobus Property Nigeria Ltd, and their Nigerian lawyer, Abu Arome.

The decision of the judge followed the formal request by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice to discontinue the case.

But the judge took a swipe at the defendants for attempting to compromise her.

According to her, the defendants dared to reach her through one of her registrars, just as she wondered about the status of the matter.

The Nigerian Police had on June 25, last year, filed a 26-count criminal charge against the defendants before the FCT High Court in Gwarinpa.

The police had based its action on the outcome of its final investigation report of alleged forgery against the defendants in respect of a property dispute between the defendants and some Nigerian investors in the real estate sector.

According to the Police the defendants illegally increased share capital and used forged documents for companies like Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited, to attempt to claim ownership of River Park Estate, the property in the center of the dispute.

However, while their arraignment was pending in court, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) directed that the criminal charges filed against the Ghanaian investors and their Nigerian lawyer be put on hold and the case file handed over to his office.

At the end of its investigation, the Justice Ministry, through the then Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar on December, faulted the findings of the police and exonerated the defendants from the fraud and forgery allegations.

Consequently, the AGF on January 2, officially announced the termination of the proceedings, citing insufficient evidence for fraud and forgery allegations, claiming they had no case to answer.

When the matter came up yesterday, an Assistant State Counsel from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Aishatu Kalthungo, informed the court that she was instructed to discontinue the matter relying on the powers in Section 174 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999.

The State Counsel specifically said she got a directive based on an application dated December 30, 2025, and filed on January 2, 2026, “asking me to withdraw this matter.”

In a short ruling the Justice Adebiyi announced that, “the case is hereby struck out.”

She however berated the accused persons for attempting to bribe her with money through the Court’s registrar.

While pointing out that she was not the type of person who could easily be bought to compromise cases before her, Adebiyi warned that such acts would be punished if it ever occurred again.