Abuja, Nigeria — Abuja-based legal practitioner, Abu Arome, has called on the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to urgently review ongoing criminal investigations linked to the protracted River Park Estate land dispute in the Federal Capital Territory.
Arome raised concerns that the Nigeria Police Force is being weaponised by powerful land grabbers to pervert justice, alleging that police authorities are colluding with vested interests to fabricate criminal allegations against his clients — Ghanaian businessmen — in a bid to dispossess them of their legitimate property.
In his widely circulated piece titled “My Odyssey: Battling Land Grabbers In The Pursuit of Justice,” Arome narrated how his clients, who are foreign investors with lawfully acquired stakes in the estate, became victims of malicious criminal allegations after initiating court proceedings to protect their investments.
"For over 13 years, no one ever accused my clients of forgery. That changed the moment they chose to defend their property rights through the courts," Arome stated.
He also disclosed that he personally faces baseless criminal accusations concerning incidents from 2009 and 2013 — years when he was still a university student.
Arome condemned the misuse of the criminal justice system in what he described as a civil property dispute, lamenting that forensic due diligence such as signature verification has been disregarded in the police investigations.
“This is a rot in the system. Criminal justice tools are being deployed as instruments of vendetta and intimidation,” he said.
The lawyer urged the AGF to mandate a review of all criminal investigations arising from civil property disputes before any prosecution is pursued, warning that the integrity of Nigeria’s legal system is at stake.
“Our justice system cannot thrive if the innocent must suffer to prove their innocence or if lawyers are punished for standing for truth,” he warned.
The River Park Estate ownership tussle has generated significant public interest, with multiple reports alleging police complicity, use of forged documents, and brute force to control the estate.
The Ghanaian investors involved have accused a businessman, Paul Odili, of using police backing to forcibly seize the estate, despite pending over ten lawsuits before Nigerian courts regarding ownership.
Following a July 2, 2025, meeting with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, the Ghanaian legal team highlighted contradictions in police conduct. The IGP reportedly acknowledged that the police lack legal authority to adjudicate civil land disputes — a position supported by Section 32(2) of the Police Act 2020.
However, the police still paraded Odili in June as the estate's rightful owner during a controversial press briefing.
Recent court orders, including one issued on July 9, 2025, have explicitly prohibited any further allocation of land rights in River Park Estate pending the resolution of existing legal cases.
Observers have raised alarms about the intersection of police overreach, corruption, and property rights abuses in Nigeria, warning that such incidents tarnish the country's investment climate and rule of law credentials.
“The fight for justice is no longer just about land. It is about the soul of our legal system,” Arome concluded.
The case continues to attract attention from diplomats and international investors, who view its outcome as a critical test of Nigeria's commitment to the rule of law and property rights.
