A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Gwarinpa, Abuja, has struck out the criminal charges filed against some investors and directors of JonahCapital Ltd in connection with the River Park Estate dispute.
Justice Modupe-Osho Adebiyi struck out the matter on Tuesday following the withdrawal of the charges by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
The Nigeria Police Force had, on June 25, filed a 26-count charge before the court against the directors of JonahCapital Ltd, Sam Jonah, Kojo Ansah, and Victor Quainoo alongside Mobus Property Nigeria Ltd and their legal representative, Abu Arome.
The police alleged forgery relating to documents connected to the ownership of the company.
At the resumed hearing, an assistant state counsel from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Aishatu Kalthungo, informed the court that she had been instructed to discontinue the prosecution pursuant to the powers conferred on the Attorney-General under Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
She explained that the directive was based on an application dated December 30, 2025, and filed on January 2, 2026, seeking the withdrawal of the charges.
It had earlier been reported that the Attorney-General formally terminated the criminal proceedings instituted by the Nigeria Police Force after reviewing the investigation reports and case files forwarded to the Ministry of Justice.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), the decision followed a comprehensive assessment of materials submitted by the police, including reports from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit and an earlier Special Investigation Panel (SIP).
The Attorney-General was said to have concluded that there was no sufficient basis to sustain criminal prosecution against Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Mr. Kojo Ansah Mensah, Mr. Victor Quainoo, and Mr. Abu Arome in relation to allegations of fraud and forgery connected to the ownership and management of the River Park Estate.
In a statement attributed to the DPPF, it was noted that no prima facie case of forgery or related offences had been established against the defendants as contained in Charge No. CR/402/25.
Consequently, the 26-count charge earlier filed by the police was withdrawn and struck out by the court.
The Attorney-General’s position differed from the conclusions earlier reached by the IGP Monitoring Unit, which had investigated the matter following a widely publicised press briefing held in June 2025.
In outlining the basis for the withdrawal, the Attorney-General raised concerns that aspects of the investigation appeared to treat what was fundamentally a commercial and contractual dispute as a criminal matter.
The Ministry of Justice further referenced Section 8(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which discourages the use of criminal proceedings to resolve civil disputes.
The Attorney-General also reiterated that issues relating to land ownership and contractual obligations fall within the jurisdiction of the courts and not law enforcement agencies.
By contrast, the Attorney-General affirmed the findings of a 13-member Special Investigation Panel led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Imam, which had earlier examined petitions involving Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited.
The SIP report, dated March 28, 2025, was described by the Ministry of Justice as comprehensive and balanced in its assessment of the issues raised.
The dispute had attracted further attention earlier in the year following claims by the investors that the SIP report was not fully acted upon before a separate line of investigation was commenced.
In a petition dated May 22, 2025, Sir Sam Jonah reportedly informed the Attorney-General that although the SIP report had been made available to parties in April, a subsequent investigation was later initiated by the IGP Monitoring Unit.
Beyond the criminal proceedings, the Attorney-General also reviewed complaints concerning administrative actions taken at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The Ministry of Justice noted that on December 8, 2025, changes were made to the shareholding structure of Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited while related disputes were still pending before the courts.
Following his review, the Attorney-General directed the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, to restore the shareholding structure of the affected companies to their previous status pending the determination of the disputes.
The Attorney-General further directed the Nigeria Police Force to investigate allegations of destruction of property, criminal intimidation, and assault reportedly arising from the dispute and to submit its findings for further consideration.
He also instructed the police to ensure peace and security within the River Park Estate and to enable residents to enjoy their properties without interference.
