Lagos AG denies using forged documents to prosecute alleged land grabber

The office of the Attorney-General of Lagos State has denied accusations leveled by one Lai Omotola last week that the AG, Moyosore Onigbanjo, collaborated with the Police to forge documents to initiate criminal proceedings against him at the High Court of the State.According to the Director, Public Affairs at the Lagos ministry of justice, Grace Alo, the allegations are unfounded, false and a calculated attempt to manipulate and evade prosecution.

The ministry has also gone on to declare Mr Omotola a fugitive, urging anyone who has information about his whereabouts to inform the nearest Police station so that he can be arrested and brought before the court to face the criminal charges leveled against him.

Mrs Alo stated in a press release that the Task Force on Land Grabbers received two petitions in 2019 against Lai Omotola and one Fatai Okesiji, for alleged land grabbing, illegal encroachment and forcefully taking over possession of a land situate at No 63 Iju Road, Agege.

According to her, “the Task Force found merit in the petition after investigating the matter and restored the petitioner (Estate of Moshood Aremu Olatokunbo) into possession, having discovered that both men forcefully took over possession of the land contrary to the provisions of the Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016.”

The ministry added that Mr Omotola then went on to make verbal accusations of corruption against the Coordinator of the Task Force , Owolabi Arole, before the Zone 2 Police Command, which it says he couldn’t substantiate.

TVC News gathers that Upon conclusion of police investigations, a duplicate casefile was forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for issuance of Legal Advice, in which the state government resolved to charge Mr Omotola on October 27, 2020 for four counts of alleged Conspiracy, Willful Damage to Property and Securing Entry to Property by Violence.

The Ministry also claims the charge sheet was duly served on him, through his solicitors, the law firm of Lukman Iman & Co, contrary to his allegations of non-service of the court papers on him.

The matter came up at the High Court of Lagos State before Justice Hakeem Oshodi for the first time on March 22, 2021, and Owing to his absence that day, the Court issued a bench warrant for his arrest, which was revoked on October 25, 2021 when Mr. Omotola appeared in court with his lawyer.

But the state government claims he subsequently failed to appear before the Court and was absent on nine occasions before the Court issued another bench warrant on June 8, 2022, directing the police to arrest him and produce him before the court to answer the charges against him.