FCT High Court Strikes Out Criminal Charges Against Ghanaian Investors as AGF Fagbemi Discontinues Case

Uzoma Mba

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Gwarinpa has struck out the criminal charges brought against some Ghanaian investors and owners of JonahCapital Ltd in the River Park Estate dispute.

Justice Modupe-Osho Adebiyi on Tuesday struck out the matter after the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, discontinued the charges.

The Nigeria Police Force had on June 25 filed a 26-count criminal charge before an FCT High Court in Gwarinpa against the directors of JonahCapital Ltd namely; Sam Jonah, Kojo Ansah, Victor Quainoo, a company, Mobus Property Nigeria Ltd, and their Nigerian lawyer, Abu Arome alleging forgery of the ownership documents of the company.

At the resumed hearing, an assistant state counsel from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Aishatu Kalthungo, informed the court that she was instructed to discontinue the matter relying on the powers in Section 174 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999.

She said she has a directive based on an application dated December 30, 2025 and filed on January 2, 2026, to withdraw this matter.

It had earlier been reported that the AGF Fagbemi formally terminated criminal proceedings instituted by the Nigeria Police Force against the Ghanaian investors in Abuja, describing the police investigation as “misleading, legally defective, and an abuse of authority.”

According to the DPPF, the AGF reached the decision after a comprehensive review of all investigation files submitted by the Nigeria Police Force, including reports from both the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit and an earlier Special Investigation Panel (SIP).

The AGF ruled that there was “no basis for criminal prosecution” against Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Mr. Kojo Ansah Mensah, Mr. Victor Quainoo, and Mr. Abu Arome, all of whom had been accused by the police of fraud and forgery in connection with the ownership and management of the River Park Estate.

“No prima facie case of forgery and other related offences as contained in Charge No: CR/402/25 has been established against the aforementioned individuals,” the DPP stated.

Consequently, the 26-count charge earlier announced by the police was discontinued.

The Attorney-General’s decision effectively overturns the findings of the IGP Monitoring Unit led by CP Akin Fakorede, which had accused the Ghanaian investors of criminal conduct following a widely publicised press conference held on June 26 and 27, 2025.

In strongly worded remarks, the AGF described the Monitoring Unit’s investigation as “highly misleading” and faulted it for attempting to criminalise what is fundamentally a commercial and contractual dispute.

“The investigation and findings by the IGP Monitoring Unit disregarded the burden and standard of proof necessary to establish criminal liability and inappropriately attempted to characterise a commercial disagreement as a criminal matter, contrary to Section 8(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015,” the circular stated.

The AGF further emphasised that the Nigerian police lack jurisdiction to determine land ownership or adjudicate contractual disputes, warning that such actions exceed the lawful authority of law enforcement agencies.

In contrast, the AGF affirmed the findings of the 13-man Special Investigation Panel led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Imam, which had earlier investigated multiple petitions involving Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited.

The SIP report, dated March 28, 2025, was described as “valid, comprehensive, and unbiased.”

The controversy had deepened earlier in the year when the Ghanaian investors alleged that the SIP report was suppressed by the IGP Monitoring Unit.

In a petition dated May 22, 2025, Sir Sam Jonah informed the AGF that although the SIP report was disclosed to all parties on April 9 by the Office of the IGP, CP Akin Fakorede subsequently abandoned it and commenced a fresh investigation.

Beyond the discontinued criminal case, the AGF also addressed allegations of administrative irregularities at the Corporate Affairs Commission.

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 ongoing court proceedings and formal notices from the Office of the AGF.

Following his review, the AGF 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 alterations.

The AGF observed that allegations of destruction of property, criminal intimidation, and assault, allegedly carried out by individuals acting under the directives of Paul Odili, had not been properly investigated.

Accordingly, the AGF directed the Nigeria Police Force to investigate these allegations and submit a detailed report for further review.

The police were also instructed to ensure peace and security within River Park Estate and allow residents to enjoy their properties without harassment.

Although the criminal charges against the investors have been dropped, the CAC has failed to comply with the directive of the Attorney General of the Federation to rescind the cancellation of the records of the investors’ companies.