Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has ordered the reversal of recent filings by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on two Abuja-based firms linked to a long-running ownership battle over the River Park Estate. The directive, aimed at restoring the pre-dispute shareholding structure, marks a significant intervention in a case that has pitted Ghanaian investors against local interests amid accusations of fraud, forgery, and administrative overreach.
The affected companies—Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited—saw their shareholdings altered by the CAC on December 8, 2025, even as court proceedings continued and the Office of the AGF had issued formal notices against such actions. In a correspondence dated December 30, 2025, and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), M. B. Abubakar, on behalf of Fagbemi, the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, was firmly directed to revert to the status quo ante.
This move follows Fagbemi’s comprehensive review of investigation files from the Nigeria Police Force, including reports from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit and an earlier Special Investigation Panel (SIP). The AGF concluded there was “no basis for criminal prosecution” against Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Mr Kojo Ansah Mensah, Mr Victor Quainoo, and Mr Abu Arome—Ghanaian and associated investors accused by police of fraud and forgery tied to the estate’s ownership and management.
“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 DPPF stated in the correspondence. As a result, the 26-count charge earlier filed by the police has been discontinued, effectively overturning the conclusions of the IGP Monitoring Unit under CP Akin Fakorede. That unit had, following press conferences on June 26 and 27, 2025, publicly accused the investors of criminal conduct.
The River Park Estate saga traces its roots to the early 2000s, when the expansive residential development in Abuja emerged as a symbol of Nigeria’s property boom, attracting foreign investment amid the country’s oil-driven economic expansion. Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, a prominent Ghanaian businessman and former president of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, entered the picture through Jonah Capital and its affiliate, Houses for Africa, acquiring stakes in the estate as part of broader African real estate ventures. These firms positioned themselves as developers and managers, promising upscale housing for Nigeria’s growing middle class.
Tensions simmered for years, fueled by disputes over land titles, shareholdings, and management control—common flashpoints in Nigeria’s real estate sector, where overlapping claims from state allocations, private deals, and community interests often lead to protracted litigation. By 2025, the conflict escalated into criminal allegations, with the police stepping in amid claims of forged documents altering company ownership. The IGP Monitoring Unit’s intervention, culminating in those June press conferences, amplified the matter into a public spectacle, raising questions about due process and the role of regulatory bodies like the CAC in ongoing judicial matters.
Fagbemi’s directive underscores longstanding concerns over regulatory independence and adherence to court injunctions. The Ministry of Justice highlighted that the CAC’s December 8 alterations disregarded active proceedings and AGF notices, prompting the order to restore original shareholdings. This aligns with broader efforts under President Bola Tinubu’s administration to streamline justice delivery and curb perceived overreach by agencies, echoing reforms since the 1999 Constitution’s provisions on federal prosecutorial powers under Section 174.
Beyond quashing the criminal charges, the AGF addressed parallel allegations of destruction of property, criminal intimidation, and assault reportedly carried out by unnamed individuals at the estate. Noting these claims had not been properly probed, Fagbemi instructed the Nigeria Police Force to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a detailed report for further action. The police were also directed to maintain peace and security in River Park Estate, ensuring residents access their properties without harassment.
This layered intervention reflects the AGF’s mandate to oversee not just prosecutions but also administrative compliance across federal agencies. For the investors, it represents vindication after months of legal uncertainty; for CAC operations, a reminder of procedural boundaries; and for River Park residents, a potential path to stability in a neighborhood that has mirrored Nigeria’s turbulent property landscape from the 2008 global financial crisis’s ripple effects on developments to recent crackdowns on title irregularities under the Land Use Act.
