Nigeria’s corporate regulators, security agencies, and senior government officials have been accused of inaction and possible complicity in the ongoing River Park Estate dispute, following the decision by the Ghanaian government to formally petition the ECOWAS Court of Justice over the matter.

Previously, SaharaReporters reported that Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, was petitioned by two Abuja-based firms — Jonah Capital Limited and Houses for Africa Limited — seeking an investigation into the actions of the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN.

The petition, submitted on behalf of the firms by Ghanaian investor Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, KBE, accused the CAC Registrar-General of alleged unlawful expropriation of company shares, extrajudicial removal of directors, and retrospective invalidation of corporate filings. The petition, dated December 8, 2025, claims that nearly two decades of corporate records relating to JonahCapital Nigeria Ltd and Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd were unilaterally reversed.

Sources say the trade minister has remained publicly silent despite the growing controversy, raising concerns over investor protection, regulatory accountability, and abuse of administrative power.

“The actions of the Corporate Affairs Commission under Registrar-General Hussaini Ishaq Magaji have become a major flashpoint in this dispute,” a source familiar with the matter said.

According to JonahCapital’s Chief Executive Officer, Kojo Mensah, the CAC falsely alleged that the company failed to attend reconciliation meetings — a claim he says is contradicted by video evidence earlier released by the Registrar-General himself.

Mensah argues that the CAC’s reversal of long-standing corporate filings has destabilised ownership claims over River Park Estate and poses serious risks to foreign investor confidence, extending beyond Nigeria’s borders.

With Ghana now formally petitioning ECOWAS, diplomatic sources warn that the situation could strain relations between Nigeria and Ghana if left unresolved.

Despite being formally petitioned, Minister Oduwole has yet to publicly respond to the allegations or announce any investigation into the CAC’s conduct, further fuelling suspicions of regulatory capture or political shielding as international scrutiny intensifies.

Attention has also turned to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, following claims that the CAC submitted misleading information to his office regarding the dispute. JonahCapital insists such claims are false and unsupported by available evidence.

Legal analysts say delays or inaction by the Attorney-General’s office could inadvertently enable administrative overreach and undermine judicial proceedings already pending before the Federal High Court.

Additionally, the role of the Commissioner of Police, Akin Fakorede, has come under scrutiny, with stakeholders alleging that police involvement in the matter exceeded standard investigative procedures. Concerns have been raised over selective enforcement, intimidation, and potential abuse of authority in what is fundamentally a civil-commercial dispute.

Further controversy surrounds the reported non-release of a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) report compiled by the Nigerian police on the River Park Estate dispute. Stakeholders say the failure to publish or act on the report has intensified speculation that its findings may be politically sensitive or contradict official positions.

Speaking on JoyTV Ghana, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, confirmed that Accra had formally escalated the matter to ECOWAS after diplomatic efforts failed.

“We did not want to escalate this matter because we did not want it to affect the excellent relationship between Ghana and Nigeria,” Jamal said.
“But some individuals are attempting to misuse power to take over what does not belong to them.”

He added that Ghana has submitted extensive documentation to ECOWAS and is awaiting adjudication by the regional court.