ABUJA, NIGERIA — June 19, 2025 | By IDNN Legal Affairs Desk
Three prominent Ghanaian investors—Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Kojo Ansah Mensah, and Victor Quainoo—have dragged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the EFCC, and top Nigerian law enforcement officials to court, seeking ₦200 million in damages over what they described as a deliberate campaign of harassment and suppression.
The investors, directors of Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd and Houses for Africa Nigeria, are central to the ongoing ownership dispute of the high-profile River Park Estate in Abuja.
Their lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, lists the IGP, EFCC investigators, and FCT Police Commissioner among multiple respondents. They allege constitutional violations including intimidation, unlawful arrest, suppression of legal documents, and refusal to release a previously concluded police investigation report.
CORE ALLEGATIONS
According to court filings:
-
A Special Investigation Panel (SIP) had previously cleared the investors in a dispute with former partners.
-
Despite that, DCP Akin Fakorede launched a new probe into the same matter.
-
This led to the arrest and prolonged interrogation of Kojo Ansah Mensah by EFCC operatives.
The investors claim the IGP Monitoring Unit ignored official requests—including one from Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and the Ghanaian High Commission—to release the SIP’s findings.
LEGAL ACTIONS & DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE
Their counsel, Abu Arome, alongside Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adedayo Adedeji, is seeking:
-
A perpetual injunction against further arrest or harassment
-
₦200 million in exemplary damages
-
A declaration that the dispute is civil—not criminal—and should be tried in a proper court
Documents show the Ghanaian High Commission and the Attorney General’s office both urged the police to act in line with the SIP report, which found no basis for criminal charges. Those appeals have so far been ignored.
RIVER PARK DISPUTE TIMELINE
-
2013: Jonah Capital invites Paulo Homes Ltd into a joint venture.
-
Paulo was to receive 30% of land it helped get approved.
-
Dispute erupts as Paulo Homes allegedly overreaches and accuses Jonah Capital of forgery.
-
Initial SIP investigation finds no wrongdoing.
-
2025: Paulo Homes files a new petition. Fakorede launches second probe.
The Ghanaian partners say the land dispute is being weaponized, with security operatives blocking access to River Park while rival developers continue construction.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY?
Jonah Capital now accuses Nigerian law enforcement of double jeopardy—retrying the same case without cause.
“This matter has been investigated and resolved. Why are we under siege again?” one plaintiff said in an affidavit.
They argue that law enforcement agencies are being manipulated to pressure them off the estate, with politically connected actors behind the revival of forgery allegations.
DIPLOMATIC IMPLICATIONS
The case has triggered diplomatic concern, with Ghana’s Acting High Commissioner Eddison Mensah Agbenyegah writing the IGP and offering to cover all costs for a certified copy of the SIP report.
Observers say the incident could strain Ghana-Nigeria business ties if not resolved swiftly and transparently.
