Failure to Attend Trial: EFCC Ordered to Arrest, Produce Abuja Estate Agent in Court

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and produce an Abuja-based estate agent, Mrs. Rebecca Omokamo in court at the next adjourned date.

The judge issued the order on Tuesday, following the failure of the defendant to appear in court for her trial on alleged land fraud, forgery and money laundering.

At the resumed trial, her counsel Christopher Oshomeghie, SAN, had informed the court that men of the EFCC had laid siege on the home of his client for 23 days running and so she has not been outdoors for all that period as she fears for her life.

The Senior lawyer informed the court that the EFCC siege on her house was the reason for her absence.

In a short ruling, the trial judge ordered the EFCC to arrest and keep the defendant in their custody till Thursday July 23 for the continuation of trial.

The other defendants in the suit are Homadil Realty Limited, Idakwogi Richard John, and Rychado Homes Limited.

Only the third defendant, Richard John, the CEO of Rychado Homes Limited was available in court at the resumed hearing.

Proceedings began with counsel for the prosecution, Benedict Ubi informing the court that the first defendant (Rebecca Omokamo) was in ‘self-imposed house arrest sequel to the order of the court for an interim forfeiture of a disputed land.’

The prosecutor said the defendant is obstructing officers of the EFCC from carrying out the order of the court.

Ubi accused Mrs. Omokamo of breaching the terms of her administrative bail by traveling repeatedly out of jurisdiction.

In a counter-argument, counsel for the defendant claimed that “menacing, gun-wielding officers of the EFCC took over the property of his clients in a 23-day siege”.

He said she is in a very poor state of health for having to be indoor for that long.

The prosecutor interjected by clarifying that the defendant has the keys and that it was she who locked herself in her apartment and not the EFCC officers on enforcement duty.

Responding, the court ordered the commission to produce the defendant in court after her counsel confirmed that she had the keys to the apartment and not the men of the EFCC.

Earlier in a related civil suit Instituted by the EFCC, Justice Abdulmalik rebuked Senior Advocate, Christopher Oshomeghie for ‘pondering for the court.’

The trial judge took this position after he drew her attention to the continued siege on his client’s Guzape property by men of the EFCC.

He had sought clarity on her previous order for status quo antebellum to be maintained by contending parties and the high-handed action by the EFCC officers who have since laid siege on the property shutting his client in for almost a month.

The judge in response said “When I make an order I go to sleep,” she thereby emphasized that the lawyer cannot think for the court.

Earlier during the civil lawsuit, Ubi had informed the court of a pending application for the final forfeiture of the disputed property. There was also a pending application by a party seeking to join the suit.

However, the court held that the application for joinder supersedes any other and that it will be accorded priority by the court.

The trial judge adjourned the civil suit till October 15 for hearing of all pending applications.

Rebecca Omokamo was arraigned in June 2025 before Justice Abdulmalik on multiple charges (two separate suits: FHC/ABJ/CR/76/2025 with 17 counts and FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025 with 5 counts).

Co-defendants included her husband (Isaac Yusuf Ishaku), Homadil Realty Limited, Idakwogi Richard John, and Rychado Homes Limited.

‎The EFCC claimed the defendants fraudulently obtained over N500 million from victims between 2023–2024 by selling plots with forged documents (such as fake Power of Attorney), including Plot 4022 in Guzape and plots in Katampe.

The funds were allegedly laundered through company accounts.

The victims included a 79-year-old widow (Colleen Yesufu) among others; one witness (Abu Gambo) testified in July 2025 about losing N62 million on two Katampe plots whose titles later vanished from AGIS records.