The 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 State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over an alleged plot by the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), to pervert the course of justice in a suit filed by the state against a businessman, Lai Omotola, for alleged land grabbing.
In the petition dated 25th September, 2024, written through her lawyer, Adeniyi Odunsi, the widow expressed concerns over the withdrawal of the charge against Lai Omotola, despite the legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) which led to the initial filing of the charge against him.
“While we appreciate the powers of an Attorney General to discontinue criminal proceedings in the state, we cannot phantom the rationale behind the Attorney General’s decision to discontinue proceedings against Lai Omotola in this case, despite the legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions which led to charges filed against Lai Omotola in the first place.
“It is instructive that the trial judge, Honourable Justice Oshodi also delivered a ruling on the 25th of January 2022, wherein he held that the proof of evidence filed by the DPP sufficiently links the defendant with the offences he was charged with. This confirms that the legal advice which led to the charges being filed against Lai Omotola cannot be faulted.
“When the current Attorney General took office, he informed the court on the 31st of January 2024, that he wanted a stay of proceedings to review the case file. The judge refused and adjourned the matter for arraignment. Since then, there were several adjournments because the Attorney General said he was still reviewing the case file until he finally discontinued the case without giving any reasons.
“It is unfortunate and bad for the administration of Justice in Lagos State for one Attorney General (Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN) to commence prosecution under Lagos State Laws and for the next Attorney General (Mr Lawal Pedro SAN) to discontinue the prosecution without any justifiable reason, under circumstances which appear to suggest collusion with Lai Omotola to illegally dispossess our client of her late husband’s property”, the petitioner stated.
The petitioner noted that though “Omotola’s discharge by the court upon the withdrawal of the charge by the AG’s office does not vindicate or exonerate Lai Omotola, as he can still be charged for the same offence over the same land, with the same facts, at any time, the AG’s action in withdrawing the charge calls for concerns”.
The petitioner further disclosed that the property in dispute situated at No 63, Iju Road, Agege, was purchased by her husband in 2001, following which he obtained Governor’s consent to his Deed of Assignment as far back as 2003, obtained development permit and also fenced the land thereafter. Unfortunately, he died before he could start any development on the land.
“After the Task Force against Land Grabbers dislodged Lai Omotola from the land, he wrote a petition to the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan and this led to the arrest of our workmen on the land.
“We proceeded to write a cross petition to the AIG, Zone 2 Command and this led to the investigation of the case and the forwarding of the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Legal Advice. The Legal Advice was that Lai Omotola be charged to court for land grabbing and other offences.
“An Information was filed at the High Court in 2021 accordingly. Since then, Lai Omotola refused to appear in court despite being aware of the charges against him. He employed several tactics to frustrate his trial and to completely ridicule the judiciary and the rule of law in Lagos State. Till date, Lai Omotola has no registered title to the land.
“He wrote petitions against the Honourable Justice Olatunde Oshodi to the Honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State and the National Judicial Council, he wrote petitions against Mr Owolabi Arole (the then Coordinator of the Task Force against Land Grabbers) to the then Attorney General, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo and to the EFCC. He falsely accused Adeniyi Odunsi and CSP Akinjide Alabi (the IPO) of forging his signatures on statements which he gave on Oath at Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan.
“When all these petitions were investigated and found to be without any merit whatsoever, he proceeded to address a press conference where he accused the former Attorney General of Lagos State, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN, of prosecuting him with forged documents.
“The Ministry of Physical Planning and LABSCA had to demolish the illegal structures he erected on the land, four times, before he finally stopped illegal construction on the land. He thereafter kept armed guards on the land to prevent the lawful owner from developing the land.
“Our client had to amend the earlier approved building plan and obtained new plans to enable her build a hospital on the land. Development permit was obtained in October 2023 and authorization to commence construction was obtained in February 2024. Despite all these, our client could not go on the land because of the armed thugs planted on the land by Lai Omotola.
“In the circumstance, we are to appeal to your Excellency to use your good office to review the Attorney General’s decision to withdraw charges against Lai Omotola, to ensure that his decision was indeed guided by public interest, the interest of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process as enjoined by Section 211 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, the petition further reads.
