How Criminal Syndicates Exploit Lagos Courts to Grab Lands - Dr. Monday Ubani Raises Alarm

A shocking revelation has emerged from the corridors of justice in Lagos, as Senior Advocate of Nigeria and renowned legal expert, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, exposed how land grabbers have perfected the art of judicial manipulation to steal valuable properties from unsuspecting Nigerians-especially those living abroad.

In a damning account, Dr. Ubani narrated how a group of fraudulent individuals, masquerading as a land-owning family in Ikeja, targeted his UK-based widow client in a calculated scheme to take over her three plots of land situated behind the former Tasty Fried Chicken building on Opebi Road, Lagos.

According to Ubani, the syndicate obtained a fraudulent writ of possession from a Magistrate Court in Ikeja by falsely claiming that the rightful owner was dead. Unbeknownst to them, the widow was alive at the time and had only recently passed away.

"They approached the court, misrepresented facts, and got a judgment that allowed them to illegally take over the property,ÔÇØ Ubani revealed.

The lawyer further disclosed that a notorious lawyer known for aiding such fraudulent land seizures facilitated the operation and quickly advertised the plots for sale at several millions of naira each.

Upon receiving reports from the widow's tenants, Dr. Ubani swung into action. His team uncovered that the entire court proceeding had been staged, with a member of the syndicate posing as the defendant who made no effort to contest the suit. In response, Ubani filed for joinder, backed by credible documentary evidence and affidavits, while also producing the client's valid Certificate of Occupancy.

In a bid to defend the indefensible, the fraudsters relied on a laughable claim-a supposed 1920s judgment that allegedly granted them ownership of land from Ikeja to Agege. But when asked for a survey plan or any official documentation, they had nothing to show.

Fortunately, the Magistrate handling the matter saw through the lies and set aside the judgment, describing the case as fraudulent and lacking merit.

Anticipating the next move, Ubani acted fast. By 8:00 a.m. the following day, he had recovered possession of the land, preempting the syndicate's motion for stay of execution which was served an hour later.

As expected, the land grabbers didn't back down-they took the fight to the police, filing a bogus trespass complaint with the Lagos Police Command and later Zone 2, Onikan. However, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, after reviewing court documents and titles, dismissed their claims and warned them against further fraudulent actions, threatening to press charges if they persisted.

Ubani revealed that this is not an isolated case. He is currently litigating another matter where a Jos-based property owner-who has been in possession of his land since before the Nigerian Civil War-was excluded from a possession suit filed by fraudsters using the same dirty tactics of fake service and dummy defendants. The land in question had previously been returned to the owner by the Lagos State Government after the war.

"These criminals abuse procedural tools like substituted service by posting notices at odd hours, quickly photographing them, and removing them before anyone notices,ÔÇØ Ubani said.

He drew attention to a similar case involving Mr. Peter Obi's brother, who was also dispossessed of land despite possessing a valid Certificate of Occupancy. He called for deeper judicial scrutiny into how such fraud persists unchecked.

Time for Reform

Calling for urgent reforms, Dr. Ubani recommended that court rules be amended to prevent the use of unnamed or fictitious defendants in land cases. He proposed that Magistrates and Judges must visit the disputed property (locus in quo) whenever substituted service or unknown persons are involved.

"Only through such proactive steps can we restore the integrity of our justice system,ÔÇØ Ubani concluded.

"Let it be reaffirmed: the Nigerian legal system, though imperfect, is still a formidable instrument for the protection of property rights-when wielded with integrity, precision, and tenacity.ÔÇØ