The developers behind Abuja's River Park Estate, Jonah Capital, and their Ghanaian partners, along with their legal counsel, have taken the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to court. They are seeking N200 million in damages, claiming persistent harassment, intimidation, and a violation of their basic rights.
The legal action, filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, involves Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa directors Samuel Jonah, Kojo Mensah, Victor Quainoo, and their lawyer, Abu Arome. Their grievance stems from ongoing disputes surrounding the ownership of River Park Estate, which prompted the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to establish a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to look into the matter.
According to the investors, the SIP completed its investigation and submitted a report to the IGP for review by the Commissioner of Police (Legal) to identify any potential criminal issues. However, despite their repeated requests, the report has not been released. Instead, the developers allege that the Head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, launched a new investigation, seemingly to change the findings of the initial SIP report. They accuse this officer of continuous harassment, including repeated invitations and intimidation.
Furthermore, the investors claim that EFCC operatives, including a senior officer at the FCT Zonal Command and another investigator, arrested and interrogated Jonah Capital CEO, Kojo Mensah, for several days. The developers argue that both the Police and the EFCC have no valid reason to investigate matters that were already addressed in agreements dating back to 2012, labeling these actions as oppressive.
The plaintiffs are now asking the court for a permanent order to stop the Police and EFCC from further harassment. They also seek an order compelling the release of the SIP report and are demanding N200 million in damages for the alleged infringement of their rights.
