By Comfort Olayinka
Nigerian vibrant Lawyer, Alexander Oketa, has petitioned the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over land grabbing activities by the officials of the Commission.
The piece of land located at plot 680-689, Cadastral Zone Bo6, Mabushi, Abuja, has been a subject of tussle between Jona Brothers Construction Limited and Chief Michael Adeojo (Owner of Elizade Motors), for over six years.
Despite many court judgements, orders and rulings in favour of Jona Brothers Construction Limited and its partner, Uche Vincent, declaring them as authentic owners of the piece of land; with the Police investigation report also confirming same; the EFCC, in a twist of event, was said to have meddled into the matter, uninvitedly, declaring the Chairman of Elizade Motors as the rightful owner of the said piece of land.
In a 5-page strong worded petition signed by Barrister Oketa and submitted and acknowledged at the Executive Chairman’s office, EFCC headquarters on Friday, 7th March 2025; some EFCC officials led by Mr. Olayinka Macaulay, the Team Leader of the agency in Area 11, Abuja, allegedly stormed the said property on Thursday, 6th March, harassing the workers on site, sealed off the premises and threatened to arrest anyone seen close to the premises.
“Please recall our earlier letter to the Commission dated 22nd April, 2024, informing you of the judgement of His Lordship, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Mohammed in JONA BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION LTD & 3 ORS V. EFCC & 3 ORS, SUIT NO. FCT/HC/CV/42/2023, which perpetually restrained the Commission and any entity acting on its behalf from arresting, dispossessing or seizing the above mentioned property from our clients, or engaging in any act inimical to our clients’ ownership, use and occupation of the said property, unless the judgement of Justice S.U Bature is set aside by an appellate court.
“It has come to the knowledge of our clients that some recalcitrant officers of the Commission (EFCC) led by one Mr. Olayinka Macaulay of the Property & Fraud Unit, Area 11, Abuja, on the 6th day of March, 2025, unlawfully stormed the said property; stopped ongoing approved construction on site; padlocked the gate; chased away our Clients and workers from the property; marked the property with the inscription ‘EFCC KEEP OFF’; and threatened to arrest our Clients and the workers if they dare return to the property; on the basis that they (Mr. Olayinka Macaulay and his men, Police Officers) are enforcing an Interim Forfeiture Order granted to the Commission (EFCC) by Hon. Justice Nwite of the Federal High Court.
“Our Client’s building materials and equipment worth Billions of Naira have been exposed to theft, demurrage and expiration by the unlawful activities of Olayinka Macaulay, at the behest and pleasure of our Client’s defeated opponent, Chief Michael Adeojo, whom the prosecutors, SYLVANUS TAHIR, SAN; ELIZABETH ALABI, ESQ; AND M.I BUBA, ESQ, declared as the true owner against the judgements of the FCT High Courts.
“For your education Sir, Court Orders are only enforceable by the Sheriff of the Federal High Court, and not by the personal whims and caprices of the Commission, particularly when the Commission is a party to the ongoing forfeiture proceedings. Interestingly, our Clients contacted the Registry of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the Registry categorically distanced itself from the illegal enforcement of the said interim Order, especially as our Client’s application to set aside the interim forfeiture is pending.
“For your further education Sir, the Judgement of Ibrahim Mohammed is the latest and takes precedence over and above the Interim Order secretly obtained by the Commission without the joinder, knowledge, participation and service and/or publication of the said Order in any of the national dailies. The Commission is further challenged to provide any evidence of service of the said Interim Order on our Clients.
“It is quite unfortunate, appalling and shameful that the Commission once perceived to be a model to other sister agencies in the country, has degenerated into a cartel wherein, officers of the Commission now seizing properties and handling same to our opponent, Chief Michael Adeojo, who we have repeatedly defeated in Courts.
“We humbly urge you to urgently call the concerned EFCC officials to Order and forestall the imminent clash of the judgement and Orders of the Court, as our Clients shall equally be relying on the judgement and Order in their favour to utilise every legally conceivable means to protect its adjudged property”, the petition reads in part.
The Lawyer also threatened to ventilate the grievances to the “National Judicial Council (NJC), the National Security Adviser, the National Assembly, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission and other relevant government functionaries”, if the EFCC Chairman refuses to take action within 48 hours.
When contacted via telephone Saturday night, Mr. Olayinka Macaulay, the leader of the team that invaded the said property on Thursday, declined comment. Rather, he directed that our Correspondent speak with media unit of the EFCC, even though he admitted carrying out the “official” duty on Thursday.
He said, “What I did is not in my personal capacity. It was in my official capacity. I was directed. So, I can’t now be personally attending to it. Because as you are calling me now, it is like I’m responding to it personally. If you want any response, it has to be a kind of formal response from our media unit”.
