An FCT High Court sitting in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Tuesday struck out criminal charges filed against Ghanaian investors and directors of JonahCapital Ltd over the long-running River Park Estate dispute, following the withdrawal of the case by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Justice Modupe-Osho Adebiyi struck out the matter after the Office of the AGF and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, formally discontinued the prosecution.
At the resumed hearing, an assistant state counsel from the AGF’s office, Aishatu Kalthungo, told the court that she was acting on instructions to withdraw the case pursuant to the powers of the Attorney General under Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“I have a directive based on an application dated December 30, 2025, and filed on January 2, 2026, to discontinue and withdraw this matter,” Kalthungo said.
The Nigeria Police Force had on June 25, 2025, filed a 26-count charge before the same court against the directors of JonahCapital Ltd, Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Mr Kojo Ansah Mensah, and Mr Victor Quainoo, as well as Mobus Property Nigeria Ltd and their Nigerian lawyer, Mr Abu Arome. The police alleged forgery of company ownership documents in relation to the River Park Estate.
However, the Attorney General subsequently terminated the proceedings, describing the police investigation as “misleading, legally defective, and an abuse of authority.”
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), the AGF decided after a comprehensive review of all investigation files submitted by the police, including reports from the Inspector-General of Police’s (IGP) Monitoring Unit and an earlier Special Investigation Panel (SIP).
“There is no basis for criminal prosecution in this matter,” the DPP stated.
“No prima facie case of forgery or any other related offence as contained in Charge No: CR/402/25 has been established against the aforementioned individuals,” the DPP added.
As a result, the 26-count charge earlier announced by the police was formally discontinued.
The River Park Estate controversy centres on a protracted commercial and contractual disagreement involving Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited, Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited, and other interests connected to the development and management of the estate in Abuja.
Earlier investigations into the dispute had been conducted by a 13-man Special Investigation Panel led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Imam. According to its report dated March 28, 2025, the panel reportedly found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by the Ghanaian investors. The AGF later described the SIP report as “valid, comprehensive, and unbiased.”
Despite this, the IGP Monitoring Unit, led by CP Akin Fakorede, commenced a separate investigation and accused the investors of criminal conduct, culminating in a widely publicised press conference in June 2025 and the filing of criminal charges.
In strongly worded remarks contained in an official circular, the AGF faulted the Monitoring Unit’s approach, saying it attempted to criminalise a purely commercial dispute.
“The investigation and findings by the IGP Monitoring Unit were highly misleading and disregarded the burden and standard of proof required to establish criminal liability,” the AGF stated.
The Attorney General added that the police “inappropriately attempted to characterise a commercial disagreement as a criminal matter, contrary to Section 8(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.”
He further warned that the Nigeria Police Force has no jurisdiction to determine land ownership or adjudicate contractual disputes, stressing that such actions fall outside the lawful authority of law enforcement agencies.
Beyond the criminal case, the AGF also raised concerns about administrative actions taken by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The Ministry of Justice noted that on December 8, 2025, the CAC altered the shareholding structure of Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited despite pending court cases and formal notices from the AGF’s office.
Following his review, Fagbemi directed the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, to restore the ownership and shareholding of the affected companies to the status quo ante their position before the disputed changes.
The AGF also observed that allegations of destruction of property, criminal intimidation, and assault allegedly carried out by individuals acting under the directives of one Paul Odili had not been properly investigated.
Accordingly, he directed the Nigeria Police Force to investigate those allegations and submit a detailed report for further review, while also instructing the police to ensure peace and security within River Park Estate so that residents can enjoy their properties without harassment.
Although the criminal charges against the Ghanaian investors have now been struck out by the court, the CAC is yet to comply with the Attorney General’s directive to reverse the disputed changes to the companies’ records, leaving aspects of the broader controversy unresolved.
