A 71-year-old man, Mujitabat Maiyegun, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate O.O. Olatunji of the Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on a three-count charge bordering on forgery, conspiracy, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.
The charge, dated November 12, 2025, was filed by the police through its prosecutor, ASP Ishola Samuel.
Maiyegun, who was brought before the court in connection with an alleged forged land document relating to Maiyegun Family Land in Lekki Peninsula, pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Upon arraignment, the defence counsel, Ernest Ukpai, objected to the proceedings.
He told the court that the defendant had already been arraigned on the same charges earlier on November 12 before Magistrate Tella of Court 2, Ebute Metta, and that the matter remained pending.
Ukpai added that the defendant had previously been arraigned in April 2024 before Court 7, Ebute Metta, and argued that the police could not lawfully re-arraign him on identical facts.
Magistrate Olatunji overruled the objection, clarifying that the matter before the Tinubu court concerned specific allegations of forgery, conspiracy, forceful entry, and conduct likely to breach public peace.
In his response, Samuel countered the defence’s objection, saying that Ukpai sought to mislead the court.
He explained that the previous matter at Ebute Metta had been struck off, and that the defence had no evidence supporting their claim that the case was still pending.
He said the police only approached the Ebute Metta court when the Tinubu court was not sitting, but later filed a written report with supporting certified copies confirming that the earlier case was no longer active.
“We filed a written report on the matter and attached CTC to show that the matter was still subsisting, if not so it would have been struck out,” Samuel said.
Following the ruling, Ukpai applied for bail in liberal terms.
The prosecutor did not oppose the application but informed the court that the defendant had previously absconded during proceedings at Court 7, Ebute Metta, prompting the police to expend “significant resources” to re-arrest him.
Chief Magistrate Olatunji nevertheless granted bail in the sum of N5m, considering the defendant’s age.
The court directed him to produce two sureties, who must be recognised community leaders with three years’ tax payment records.
The court adjourned the matter to November 24, 2025, for the commencement of the trial.
According to the charge, Maiyegun and others now at large allegedly forged a Deed of Assignment (registered as 5/5/2632) concerning land belonging to Chief Cyril Okoye at Maiyegun Village, Lekki Peninsula.
The defendant was also accused of causing the breach of peace by illegally and forcefully entering into a plot of land belonging to one Chief Okoye Cyril, situated at Plot 20, Maiyegun Layout, Ologolo road, Maiyegun town in Eti-Osa Local government area and began to carry out construction work on it.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant used the forged document to assert ownership of the property and conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravened Sections 411, 365(3)(h), and 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Earlier, Magistrate Olatunji ordered the production of defendant Kayode Adeyemi, facing similar offences, which was scheduled before the same court but was stalled due to the absence of the defendant.
Olatunji ordered the two sureties who were in court to ensure Adeyemi appears before the court on the next adjourned date.
“Ensure you bring the defendant to court on the next adjourned date,” he said.
He was also arraigned on July 3, 2025, on the same offences, and he was granted bail of N5m, with two sureties in like sum.
Adeyemi‘s lawyer, Ernest Ukpai, apologised for the absence of the defendant, and informed the court that the defendant was sick but that the sureties were in court.
He told the court that Adeyemi was diagnosed with typhoid.
The prosecutor, Samuel, said he doesn’t have a copy of the medical report, nor does he know the content of the medical report dated August 12, 2025.
Upkpai countered that he was not a medical doctor, but told the court that Adeyemi was suffering from high blood pressure and other ailments.
According to the defence counsel, the defendant has been in and out of the hospital, and the doctor advised that he should take bed rest.
Consequently, Magistrate Olatunji adjourned the case to December 19, 2025, for trial.