By Kunle Mudasiru
Widow of the late Ambassador Moshood Olatokunbo, Nigeria’s former representative at the United Nations Refugee Agency, Dr (Mrs) Olabisi Olatokunbo, has petitioned the Lagos Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), over alleged plot by a businessman, Lai Omotola, to forcefully take over her late husband’s property situated at No 63, Iju Road, Agege.
The petitioner said her husband purchased the property in 2001, obtained Governor’s consent to his Deed of Assignment as far back as 2003 and also obtained development permit thereafter. Unfortunately, he died before he could start any development on the land.
The widow added that despite the fact that Lai Omotola was dislodged by the Task Force against land grabbers since February 2020, she has not been able to take back possession of the land and she expressed her fears that the case may be withdrawn from court by the Lagos Attorney General to deny her justice.
In the petition written through her lawyer, Adeniyi Odunsi, it was disclosed that Omotola is currently being prosecuted by the Lagos State Government before Justice Olatunde Oshodi of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja for alleged land grabbing, forcible entry and malicious damage.
“The case file with the office of the DPP will reveal that despite the information being filed early in 2021, the defendant (Omotola) has employed several tactics to frustrate his arraignment and has refused to appear in court, save once, when an earlier Bench warrant issued against him was vacated.
“The defendant’s counsels have filed several applications in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, all in an attempt to ridicule the courts and make nonsense of the administration of criminal justice system in Lagos State. The dicta of Honourable Justice Oshodi in several rulings delivered in the suit is adequate testament of this fact”, the petitioner stated.
In the petition, the defendant was said to written petitions against Owolabi Arole, CSP Egbeyemi and Adeniyi Odunsi, to the AIG Zone 2 Command at different times, ‘falsely’ accusing them of unlawful destruction of his property.
“When our office wrote a cross-petition to the AIG Zone 2 Command, the matter was investigated by the police, the case file was sent to the office of the DPP and this led to the information filed by the DPP against the defendant.
“Immediately the defendant was notified of the information filed against him, he proceeded to write petitions against Honourable Justice Olatunde Oshodi to the Chief Judge of Lagos State and the National Judicial Council (NJC). These petitions were recently dismissed for lacking in merit.
“Thereafter, the defendant wrote petitions against Owolabi Arole ( Coordinator of the Task Force against land grabbers at that time) to the EFCC and the then AG Lagos State.
“When all these petitions were investigated and found to be lacking in merit, the defendant proceeded to address a press conference where he accused the then AG of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), of prosecuting him with forged documents.
“It is instructive and spurious that this allegation of forgery by the defendant was the basis of one of his applications to have the charges against him quashed. The application was later dismissed by Justice Oshodi and a date was set for the defendant’s arraignment.
“The defendant also embarked on using officers from the office of the AIG, Alagbon Close and the IG Monitoring Unit, Abuja, severally to intimidate and harass prosecution’s witnesses in the case, including CSP Akinjide Alabi (the IPO), as well as Adeniyi Odunsi”, the petitioner stated.
At the last hearing of the matter on 31st January, 2024, the prosecution’s lawyer, M. T. Adewoye, while seeking for adjournment, informed the court that the Lagos AG has ordered the review of the case.
“I have instruction from the office to suspend action with respect to this case. We intend to review this case. That is the directive from the office. The AG gave me directive”, Adewoye said.
Responding to the lawyer’s request, Justice Oshodi said: “That is stay and I cannot grant it. If you want to review the case, that is your business, but I cannot stay the case. You must quote me to the AG, he seems to be doing that of late, he cannot be interfering”.
Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned to September 25, 2024.
