LAGOS—Senior Advocate of Nigeria and public affairs analyst, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, has raised alarm over what he describes as a growing pattern of judicial fraud in Lagos, warning that land grabbers now exploit court processes and collaborate with complicit lawyers to dispossess rightful landowners under the guise of legality.
Narrating a recent case involving his UK-based Nigerian widow-client, Ubani detailed how a syndicate operating in Ikeja fraudulently secured a court order to seize her three plots of land located behind the former Tasty Fried Chicken building on Opebi Road.
“Their entire scheme was built on deception. They assumed the rightful owner was dead, but she was very much alive—she only passed away last year,” he explained.
The syndicate, according to Ubani, approached a magistrate court at the time located at the Local Airport in Ikeja, and through fraudulent means obtained a writ of possession. Aided by a lawyer “infamous for such underhand tactics” in the area, they quickly took possession and began advertising the property for sale, each plot going for several millions of naira.
Alerted by tenants, Ubani said he investigated and uncovered that the claimants had staged the lawsuit using one of their own as a nominal defendant who didn’t contest the action. “It was a clear case of collusion and judicial manipulation,” he said.
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Reacting swiftly, Ubani filed an application for joinder and a motion to set aside the fraudulent judgment. Armed with the client’s Certificate of Occupancy and sworn affidavits, he exposed the deception before the court. The defendants, in response, claimed ownership of vast lands from Ikeja to Agege based on a dubious judgment allegedly issued in the 1920s, but they failed to produce any survey plan or map to support their claims.
“The magistrate, a courageous and principled officer, saw through the lies and set aside the judgment,” Ubani said.
Anticipating the defendants would file an appeal and seek a stay of execution, Ubani moved preemptively. “By 8:00 a.m. that morning, we had taken back possession of the property. By 9:00 a.m., they served their motion—too late,” he recounted.
Frustrated, the syndicate resorted to harassment, filing a petition at the Lagos State Police Command and later at Zone 2, Onikan, accusing Ubani and his client of trespass. But a review by the Assistant Commissioner of Police confirmed the court documents and ownership titles, leading to a stern warning against the petitioners and their counsel.
“That officer showed integrity. He told them never to return with such fraudulent claims and even threatened prosecution for attempting to use forged documents,” Ubani said.
The SAN revealed that the problem is widespread, citing a similar ongoing case involving a Jos-based property owner who had been in undisturbed possession of his land since before the Civil War. Despite clear records, including a government return of the land post-war, he was excluded from a suit, and judgment was fraudulently obtained through a relative posing as a defendant.
“The pattern is the same—use of fictitious parties, fake service, and collusive judgments,” he warned.
Ubani expressed concern that procedural loopholes are being weaponized to dispossess innocent landowners. “They paste notices at odd hours, snap photos as evidence of service, and remove them before anyone sees. That’s not justice,” he said.
He also referenced the recent outcry involving Mr. Peter Obi’s brother, who was allegedly dispossessed despite holding a valid Certificate of Occupancy, noting that the system requires urgent reform.
Calls for Reform
Ubani called for amendments to civil procedure rules to restrict the use of unnamed or unknown defendants in land suits and recommended mandatory court inspections (locus in quo) in such cases.
“Both magistrate and high courts must be empowered to verify claims on ground when such suspicious processes are initiated,” he said, adding that the integrity of the judiciary depends on its resistance to being used as a tool for fraud.
He concluded by reaffirming that while the justice system is not perfect, it remains capable of protecting property rights—if legal practitioners and judges uphold diligence and integrity.
