As the lingering dispute over the ownership of River Park Estate in Abuja edges toward resolution, a document has surfaced indicating that one of the key figures in the controversy, Adrian Ogun, resigned from the companies behind the project as far back as 2017.
The River Park debacle has attracted attention from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, as well as an FCT Ministerial Committee, which has repeatedly visited the estate for review.
The document, dated July 1, 2017, was addressed to Mr. Kojo Ansah, Chief Executive Officer of Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited, developers of River Park. In the letter, Ogun formally stepped down from the boards of both Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited (JCNL) and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited (HFAN).
In a recent statement, Dr. Adrian Ogunmuyiwa maintained that he founded Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited, the company credited with developing River Park Estate, and not foreign investors as claimed in some quarters. His rebuttal came after the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, suggested that the estate belonged to Ghanaian businessman Sam Jonah of Jonah Capital.
However, the 2017 correspondence, now in circulation, shows that Ogun had already withdrawn his involvement from the company.
Part of his letter read:
“Dear Kojo, It is with regret that I am compelled to revoke and cancel as void the Agreement reached on October 20, 2016, concerning the reduction of debt claims by Common Consultants Ltd (CCL) against Jonah Capital. That Board meeting, chaired by Mr. Paul Odili of Paulo Homes, was attended by you on behalf of Jonah Capital and myself on behalf of CCL, with Yinka Kehinde recording the minutes.”
He further noted that prior to the meeting, CCL’s claims against Jonah Capital for River Park and Kaba land expenses stood at ₦61,142,133. The understanding was that all debts would be cleared by December 31, 2016, and additional payments to the FCT for Kaba land regularization fees would be made. Nine months later, Ogun lamented that Jonah Capital had failed to fulfil these commitments, jeopardizing legal rights over 23 hectares of land at Kaba.
The letter concluded with his resignation:
“My prayers are that Jonah Capital immediately settle its outstanding obligations to both the FCT and Common Consultants Ltd. Please accept my resignation from the Board of Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited (JCNL) and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited (HFAN). I have attached pre-signed CO2 and CO7 forms for implementation within 28 days and request that Sir Sam Jonah and other directors sign them without delay.”
The correspondence was also copied to Mr. Paul Odili of Paulo Homes Limited.
Ogunmuyiwa, however, insists that the present ownership battle is rooted in disputes with foreign partners over shareholding alterations carried out in 2024, which he described as unfavourable to Nigerian stakeholders.
He urged Nigerians to follow the judicial process closely, stressing that the matter remains before the courts for determination.
