A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered that defendants standing trial over the alleged fraudulent sale of a parcel of land in Lekki be served with court processes through substituted means.
Justice Mojisola Dada made the order yesterday following complaints by the prosecution that repeated efforts to personally serve some of the defendants had failed.
The defendants are Olabanji Oreagba, Taiwo Oreagba, and two companies — Trocadero Property and Investments Limited and Saglon Beverages Ventures Limited.
The Lagos State Government, on January 29, 2026, filed an amended four-count charge against them bordering on conspiracy, forgery, property fraud and false representation.
When the matter came up, counsel to the 1st, 3rd and 4th defendants, Mahmud Adesina, SAN, informed the court that while the 1st defendant had been duly served, the 2nd defendant, said to be resident abroad, had not been served. He also confirmed that the 3rd and 4th defendants, both corporate entities, were yet to be served.
Adesina drew the court’s attention to preliminary objections filed on February 9 and 10, urging the court to quash the charge on the ground that investigation into the matter had not been concluded before the criminal information was filed.
However, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, opposed the objections, arguing that under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, preliminary objections cannot be used to stall criminal proceedings.
He maintained that such objections must be taken alongside the substantive charge and not in isolation, as canvassed by the defence.
Martins also rejected the claim of incomplete investigation, contending that the Office of the Attorney-General is not bound to rely solely on police investigations before initiating criminal proceedings.
On the issue of service, he told the court that attempts to serve the 2nd defendant had been unsuccessful due to his absence from the country. He added that efforts to serve the 3rd and 4th defendants at their registered office addresses proved abortive, as the companies were no longer operating from those locations.
He therefore urged the court to grant an earlier ex parte application seeking leave to serve the unserved defendants through substituted means, specifically by publication in a national newspaper.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Dada granted the application and ordered that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants be served through substituted service.
The case was adjourned to April 8, 2026 for further proceedings.
In the charge marked ID/26330C/2025, the defendants are accused of conspiring to commit forgery, contrary to Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly forged the signature of Rashid Huthman, Chairman and Director of Complete Leisure Estates Limited, on a Deed of Assignment dated November 16, 2020.
The deed was purportedly executed between Complete Leisure Estates Nigeria Limited and Ambulatory Surgery Center of Lagos Limited, an offence punishable under Section 365(3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
The state further alleged that the defendants fraudulently sold a parcel of land situated along Aja–Epe Road, Lekki sub-region, off Monastery Road, Lagos, to Ambulatory Surgery Center of Lagos Limited, despite allegedly lacking lawful authority to do so.
The 1st defendant, Olabanji Oreagba, is also accused of making false statements to a public officer with intent to mislead, contrary to Section 96 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, having allegedly presented himself as a director of Trocadero Property and Investments Limited to police officers at the Zone II Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos.
